It's My Life
by M Ni
Summary: Dawn is determined to take over her deceased grandfather's farm and make it the best farm around. Of course, she wasn't counting on rivalry with Jack. Based in the HM64 game, this fic is full of fluffy goodness. 18 is Up.
1. One: Introduction

HM Girl

It's My Life

****

Author's Notes – This is my first fic—okay, my first Harvest Moon fic—okay! My _second _Harvest Moon fic, but my first one sucked, and the other fics…Well, there were only three, so that doesn't matter…This takes place in the Harvest Moon64 version, except it's from a girl's point of view, the main character. It's not like the Harvest Moon for Girl story; it's the same story for 64, except it's a girl, and there's a rival farm…guess who! (It's Jack you idiot ^.~) She's got blonde hair, blue eyes, loves blue (like me)…Hey! Enjoy J and e-mail me at [][1]only1charm_me@hotmail.com! 

Chapter One

Tears streamed down Dawn's cheeks as the priest closed the funeral with quiet, comforting words. He was dead, it finally sunk into her brain now. 

The wind swept over the large crowd at the funeral. Her grandfather was being buried in a meadow, just below Moon Mountain on the opposite side from town. (Obviously not on the map.) 

Dawn leaned her head against her father's shoulder. He was crying, too, but Dawn could tell he was also worried about what would happen at the farm. Would it be bulldozed, after being in their family for generations, just to make way for some store that'll probably end up being some lame fast-food restaurant that will probably do no good and have to shut down? (Heh, heh…me trying to be funny…ignore that… ^.^;; ) Dawn knew her father couldn't live on the farm, and probably didn't know anyone who could take over it. Maybe they _were _going to lose to that rival farm.

Dawn decided not to think about that now. What mattered now was to properly mourn for her dearly departed grandfather. As Dawn's gaze swept over the calm meadow, and over the many sad, even crying faces around her, Dawn forgot that today was the day she turned twenty.

    * * *

The next day, Dawn left the Inn/bar she and her father had stayed at for the night. (Well, they said it was an Inn, too, because of all those floors up above the bar…) She walked through the small, quaint town and walked over to the farm, the Lone Star farm.

It was a wreck—surprisingly. After all, her grandfather _did _take care of the farm, right? Rather, used to. Dawn felt the tears form in her eyes again.

"Dawn?" Dawn's father walked over to her.

"Oh—hello, dad." Dawn wiped her eyes and smiled weakly at her father.

"We're going to be leaving for the city soon, honey," her father said, looking mournful. "I need you to help me pack up."

Dawn began to go with her father, but something pulled her back. "Dad, what's going to happen to the farm?" she asked.

Her father's face looked even more mournful. "I'm afraid we'll have to sell it." 

"To who?" Dawn felt more tears coming.

Her father sighed. She could tell he didn't want questioning, just peace. "Probably to the town, or to Joro Farm…I don't want to, but we have no other choice, Dawn." Here her dad sighed yet again, and she could see he was holding back the tears in a very strained way. Dawn did not want to see her father cry. 

Dawn felt it again. She didn't want the farm turned into some shop! It had more purpose to it, more of a story and a life than some blacksmith. Dawn knew what she had to do.

"Dad, I want to take over the farm," she said.

Her father looked extremely surprised, then laughed, in a very hurtful way. "Dawn! You can't be serious! You're a _girl, _and the farm is a wreck, I doubt that anyone can get it back on its feet!" 

Dawn glared at her father—he didn't believe she could do it, he didn't believe in her. "And being a girl automatically makes me unable to run a farm?" Dawn cried in disbelief. She could feel a hateful edge take over her. "Dad, I'm staying at the farm, and that's final!" Dawn stamped her foot.

Her father gave in, and sighed very heavily, yet again.

"I'll speak with the mayor," he said, after a long moment. "I'll come by to say good-bye, and then you're on your own."

He then left. Dawn stood still for a moment, then turned back to look at the farm.

It _was _a wreck; what had made her think she could take care of the farm? What kind of insanity was welling up inside her now? Then a light breeze blew across her face; and she thought, _I'll show Dad. He doesn't believe in me? Hah! Let's see who's laughing in three years…_

Dawn couldn't help smiling. She's live up to her grandfather's standards; maybe, just maybe, she'd show that other farm who was boss!

    * * * *

The next morning, Dawn woke up at six o'clock.

"What the heck?" she grumbled. "It's not supposed to ring until eight-thirty, then I check out that college—Oh, wait, that college was—" 

Dawn's eyes widened as she looked about the room, then remembered where she was.

"Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed, jumping out of bed. 

She dressed and ate quickly. She put on a pink shirt, with blue overalls. The overalls hung low, and the bottoms were baggy, and folded back so that they didn't hide her shoes, but they looked cool. When she stepped outside, she saw the Mayor.

__

What kind of Mayor was he? Dawn thought. _He looks like a clown! Has he been staring at my house for five hours, waiting for me to wake up and come outside? What a creep! _Dawn thanked the Goddess that the Mayor couldn't read minds.

"Hey!" said the Mayor.

"Good morning," Dawn said, walking over to the Mayor.

"And a good morning to you, too," he replied. "I am the Mayor of Flowerbud Village." (In case you were wondering, Dawn could already tell he was the mayor because of the big MAYOR badge on his vest.) "Please, just call me Mayor."

"Okay," Dawn said uncertainly.

"I know it'll be hard to bring the Lone Star farm back to its feet, and I don't really expect you to make much money with the Joro Farm already doing quite well. Of course, you know that lots of people admired your Grandfather in our town." Here the Mayor sighed. "Such a pity. Well, would you like a tour of the town?"

Dawn agreed to the tour. They walked through the town, the Mayor pointing out the important shops and places to go to. When Dawn got back to the farm, she found a very tall, muscular man waiting for her. (Why was he, like, 5 feet taller than anybody else in the game was??) 

"Hello," the man said, "You're the grandfather's grandkid, right? I am the shipper. I ship the goods you grow or forage and then I pay you cash. Just put the goods in this bin. Name's Tom." Then he left, suddenly.

Dawn glanced uncertainly at the long stretch of farmland that needed weeding, rock-smashing, and wood chopping. She sighed.

Over the next hour, Dawn got used to the hammer, the sickle, and the axe. At first, Dawn swung the hammer down very clumsily (she almost chopped her head off with the axe) but after awhile she got used to it. She worked all day and the farming ground was almost completely clean.

But now she was extremely tired. She went inside and slumped down to sleep immediately.

The next morning, Dawn cultivated the land. Not all of it, just a lot of it. Dawn also used the lumber she had gotten and made a fence around where the field—for the many animals she'd own, she thought---would be. Then she went into the town.

She stopped at the Florist's. Having only 600G, she bought two packs of seeds. She talked with Lillia, the Florist.

"Oh, you're on that farm, are you?" she said. "I hope you do well on that farm. Your grandfather was such a nice man—nothing compared to that other farm! But the man on Joro Farm is very old, much like your grandfather was. I feel that he's going to—" Lillia stopped herself, then smiled. "You be on your way then," she said sweetly.

Dawn left the Florist's and walked down the street. She turned a corner and ran into the mailman.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the man exclaimed, and he stood up and helped Dawn to her feet. 

He introduced himself as Harris, and was obviously the mailman. He looked up and down Dawn in a way that made Dawn feel sick. 

"Umm, nice meeting you," she said, and went into the Bakery.

It was a Tuesday. Dawn walked up to the counter and looked at the delicious treats she couldn't eat…

"Oh, hello," said a voice, "May I help you?"

Dawn looked up and noticed the man behind the counter.

"Are you the girl that's running the farm now?" he asked. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Jeff." 

Dawn smiled (slightly) and noticed how old he was. She introduced herself and left quickly.

Outside, Dawn met an old woman who said that her name was Ellen, and was some girl named Elli's grandmother. She said she knew Dawn, but Dawn felt uncomfortable around old people, so she left very quickly.

Dawn went to the lower part of town. She peeked her head inside the library.

"Hello," said the girl behind the desk. "This is our public library…Feel free to read here. I'm Maria."

"Hi, Maria," said Dawn, "I'm Dawn, and yes, I'm taking over the farm." Dawn left and met everyone else in the lower part of the town. (I can tell you're getting bored now, aintcha?) 

Then she went to Green Ranch. She walked onto the field (nobody said she couldn't) and patted one of the horses.

"Hey! Whatcha doin' here?" a voice called. 

Dawn turned around and met Ann. "Oh, I'm just…patting a horse," she said.

Ann grinned. "Do you like horses?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm gonna have a lot on the farm."

"Oh, you're that girl from the farm…Hey, Gray!" Ann shouted, and a boy wearing a hat that said Uma, or Horse, (hee hee) walked over from who-knows-where.

"Do you think she should take the horse?" Ann asked him. "Reflexes seem good, what do you think?"

"Uhh…" Gray was blushing like a maniac. Dawn frowned at him. "Um, yeah. She's…a good choice." He walked away.

Ann grinned. "Gray's normally rude to strangers. Maybe he likes you! Oh, and by the way…" Ann frowned. "What's your name?"

"I'm Dawn," Dawn replied, and then Hall (Irish dude, Meghan! Or should I say Ann's dad) walked up with a white pony.

"Can you take care of her properly?" he asked her.

"Yes," replied Dawn. She took the horse home, brushed her, then named her Lyra. Then she changed it to Dia. 

Dawn then left and walked up the hill to the vineyard. Just as she entered, another girl her age ran into her.

"Watch it, b*tch!" the girl yelled at her, then stormed down the hill past her.

"KAREN! Get back here!" shouted a male voice, then the heavy man sighed and went back inside the house.

Dawn walked up to the house, wondering what had caused the two to fight. 

"I'm sorry you had to see that," said another male voice, but this was a calmer voice.

Dawn jumped. It was evening, so Dawn couldn't see much. But the boy stepped out into the setting sun's light, and Dawn could see he was dark skinned and wore a bandanna on his head.

"The girl who just stormed off was Miss Karen," she boy said, "and she's the Master's daughter. The Master was the man you just saw. Those two argue a lot…"

"And who are you?" Dawn asked. She liked the guy so far; even if he turned out to be a bad guy, she liked the smell of his cologne.

"Me? My name's Kai," and he grinned winningly at her. "I…work here. I came from the north."

Dawn smiled, and relaxed a lot. "My name's Dawn," she said, "and I'm working at the farm now…"

"Would you like to go get a drink at the bar?" asked Kai. 

"Umm…sure," Dawn replied. She didn't like wine or liquor, but beer was good. But she hated seeing and smelling boys when they were drunk. 

They walked down to the bar. Dawn saw Karen, the girl who had been rude to her (not to mention called her a b*tch) and her father, and a couple of other people like the shipper and Gray. Kai and Dawn sat at Kai's table and they ordered drinks from Karen.

"So, how do you like it here?" he asked after a couple of minutes of silence. (Dawn had had just enough money for a drink.) 

"It's…a nice town," Dawn said. She didn't mention that the Mayor was a mentally challenged clown and that so far the only friendly reactions she had had were from a mailman, a Florist, and a vineyard worker. "I'm going to have some rivalry, I guess," she added, smiling as she took a swig of beer.

Dawn finished her beer. "I guess I'd better go," she said hastily. 

She walked quickly to the door, and left. Kai followed her.

"I'll walk you home," he offered.

Dawn looked up at Kai, in the moonlight. He seemed like a nice guy, and seemed like the only guy she had met—so far—that was attractive. (If she were attracted to the Mayor, then _she'd _be the mentally challenged one.)

Kai walked her back to the farm. Before she went inside, Kai smiled at her. "I hope you like it here at Flowerbud Village." Then he leaned forward to kiss her.

Dawn pretended she hadn't noticed him leaning in to kiss her, and opened her front door, making Kai kiss solid wood.

"Oh…sorry, did I hit you?"

"Umm, yeah," Kai said, rubbing his nose. "Well, see you tomorrow!" He walked back to the vineyard.

Dawn liked Kai, but she was shy and didn't kiss guys after meeting them for the first time. Dawn then remembered to sow the seeds she had bought, potatoes and turnips, and planted them. She watered them and went back to her front door. 

Gazing around at her farm, Dawn thought she could see her life's plans spread out before her, but she was missing an ingredient: love.

"I'll go and check out that other farm in the morning," Dawn said, smirking. "Then I'll show Dad."

****

Author's notes – Hey, did that suck or what? Yeah, it was too long, but I plan to make the story long too. If you want to e-mail me, e-mail me at [only1charm_me@hotmail.com][1] and tell me what you think! Of course I'm gonna have to write chapter 2, I can't leave her hanging!

   [1]: mailto:only1charm_me@hotmail.com



	2. Two: Cliff and Jack

Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Cliff and Jack

The next morning, it just "happened" to be raining. Dawn got up at 6 o'clock, set the clock on SNOOZE, then woke up later at seven. 

She got up a stretched, thinking, _At least I don't need to water the plants, _and then got changed.

When she set foot outside, the rain instantly beat down on her hard. She felt wet almost immediately.

Dawn grumbled for a couple of minutes, then noticed there was a doghouse in front of her house.

"I have a dog?" she said surprisingly. "But I don't want one!"

As she said this, a small golden puppy barked from inside and leaped out into her arms. Dawn couldn't help smiling as she patted the dog, and put him inside out of the rain. "Well, maybe I do."

Dawn exited again for the second time. She decided to check out the forest near this Moon Mountain place the Mayor had told her about. 

She went past the vineyard, and across a bridge over a river into a clearing in the forest. There was a small pond next to a tent, a long, twisted path up the small mountain, a large river, and open space between it all. Dawn saw another bridge and crossed it.

She found the carpenter's cabin next to the river on the other side, and a large tree right next to a cliff. There was also a cave.

Dawn pocketed some wild berries she had found, and then ran into the cave for shelter from the rain.

Just as she did so, she ran right into someone!

Dawn fell backwards hard on her a$$. She rubbed her forehead, where she had been hit hard, and began to snarl, "Watch it—" when she noticed who she had bumped into.

He had brown hair, blue eyes, and was wearing strange clothes, but something about him made Dawn feel weak in the knees. He looked very embarrassed, and had a large bump on his forehead (which was probably what Dawn had just caused), and he awkwardly helped Dawn to her feet.

"Uh…Sorry," he said. Then he peered at her. "Who are you?"

"Oh. Um. I'm Dawn," she said. "I'm taking over the farm, and I'm pretty new here…"

"My name's Cliff," Cliff said, not smiling, but not frowning. "And I'm new here too. I arrived in this cave last night and learned from some little elfish people that I was nearing Flowerbud Village…Oh, man, I'm so hungry," he groaned.

Dawn pulled out the berries from her backpack. "Here, eat these," she said, offering them to him.

Cliff took them gratefully and gobbled them down so fast that made Dawn feel slightly nauseous. "Thanks," he said, grinning.

For some reason Dawn felt fluttery.

"Bye," she said, smiling back at him, and she turned around and left the cave.

Back into the rain, of course.

Dawn scowled. _Well, guess I can't get warm, or go back there and embarrass myself by saying I had forgotten why I had gone in there._

Dawn hated embarrassment. Junior High flashbacks were too painful. (Teenage angst.) 

Then Dawn went into the other place she hadn't been to yet, besides on the mountain: to the Goddess' pond.

Though Dawn had only been in Flowerbud Village (FBV) for a few days she had already heard rumors about the pond—mostly some crap about a Goddess that'll come if you throw in a vegetable. Dawn snorted with amusement at people's belief in such things.

Dawn looked at the small, pretty little area ("Where is that music coming from?") and then left, to hike up the path up the mountain in the first clearing.

When she got to the top of the hill, she saw many tree stumps and a sharp cliff on her left. She looked down and saw the river that sliced between this part of the mountain and the other part, and between the carpenter's place and the cave and the fisherman's place and the path.

Dawn also noticed a sign (which is not in the real game) that pointed down the other side of the hill, where you can never go. There was a very steep, narrow path down this side of the mountain, and Dawn hiked down it.

At the bottom was pure forest, except for a large farm.

__

So, this is it, Dawn thought. _Joro Farm…_

Dawn walked through the front gate. She saw that the farm was a big wreck, just like she had found her farm. And she saw a guy that had probably been just seconds before her sprint to the door of the house on the farm.

Dawn didn't get a good look at him, but he wore a backwards cap and overalls. She couldn't tell if he was a farmer or not.

Dawn thought for a minute, and decided to listen at the slightly-open window. The boy's face, though she saw no distinguishing characteristics, had seem anguished when he had sprinted by.

Dawn peeked at a window inside the house, and saw the boy and an old man. The old man was lying in bed, and the boy was at his side.

"What are you doing here, Jack, you're supposed to be at home. Nasty little varmint." The old man had a dry, crackly voice. (Like Eustace on Courage, the Cowardly Dog! J ) 

Jack, the boy, had his back to Dawn, and Dawn thought that the boy would be slightly hurt at the man's comment, but then Dawn noticed that the old man was smiling, as if he were glad to have some company.

"Grandpa…" Jack began.

"Grandpa me nothin' you oughta be goin' home now! You don't need to visit poor, old me. Nobody ever does, anyway." The grandfather coughed, and then Dawn saw what a serious condition the man had. He was extremely weak; his cough sounded weak, starving almost, and she could now hear that his breathing was very ragged.

"Grandpa," Jack continued, "I came because I wanted to know…If there was something I could do…"

The grandpa smiled, his eyes closed. He was silent for a long time. Then he spoke in a whisper, "I'm glad you came for me. Nobody has for a long time."

He was silent again; his breathing grew uneven. He took in a deep breath, and whispered raggedly, so that Dawn practically had to stick her head inside, "I wanted to tell you something, Jack…I want…I want you to…"

The grandpa suddenly seized up, and his breathing stopped completely, as if he were holding his breath. Then he exhaled, and relaxed, and closed his eyes.

"…Grandpa?" Jack said. "What—did you say, Grandpa?…_Grandpa?_"

The old man did not reply. He seemed to have had a serious illness. Just like Dawn's grandfather. And now he was gone.

Dawn continued to watch, forcedly reminded of her last moments with her grandfather as well. Jack's back was shaking; Dawn could tell he was trying not to cry.

Suddenly Jack stood up. Dawn ducked beneath the window and ran back to the front gate in the rain. But before she got there—

"Hey!"

Dawn spun around, and saw Jack walking up to her.

Dawn finally saw his face completely. He had brown hair, which was sticking out of his hat in a weird way, and emotional brown eyes, which right now seemed lost and lonely. 

"Were you sent by the Mayor?" Jack asked.

"Um…no, actually, I wasn't," Dawn said quietly. 

"I saw you looking through the window," Jack said hotly, and suddenly. "That wasn't—very…" Jack couldn't help looking down and rubbing his eyes. Dawn felt she needed to comfort him, since he looked so lost and scared, and unprotected, like a child.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Dawn said, and she had a quiver in her voice. "My grandpa…recently passed away. As a matter of fact…" Dawn managed a weak smile, even though memories of her grandfather were flashing in her mind, "I'm your grandfather's new 'rival' like they say. Er…I was…" Dawn felt awkward talking about this subject.

Jack frantically wiped his eyes again, and he no longer looked sad or lost. In fact, he seemed determined, almost happy. "I'm going to take over Joro Farm," he said. His eyes were shining; Jack made Dawn weak in the knees, like Cliff had done.

The rain seemed to dampen her mood, though. "I…guess you should tell—"

Then suddenly the gate opened. Guess who, of all people, walked in…The Mayor. He walked straight over to Jack and Dawn. 

"Why, hello," the mayor said to Dawn. "What a surprise to see you here. And hello, Jack. How is—"

"He's dead," Jack cut him off.

"Oh, my," the Mayor said, but Dawn could tell that the Mayor wasn't exactly saddened at all. "I wonder what will happ—"

"I wanna take over Joro Farm."

"Um…very well, Jack. We'll get the Shipper notified. He will speak with you concerning shipping. And I assume you know the town already? Good. Good-bye." And the Mayor left suddenly.

Dawn and Jack were silent for a minute, glancing anywhere but at each other. Then finally Dawn said, "You know, you may have a rough start off in the town, with everybody disliking you already because of your grandfather."

"Yeah, I know," Jack said, sighing. "I don't know why they'd judge me from him."

They were silent again. Then Dawn said, "I'd better go, huh?"

As she opened the gate, Jack called, "Hey, what's your name?"

Dawn turned around. "Oh, yeah…I'm Dawn." Then she left.

Dawn ran home quickly. She was freezing.

When she got home, she rummaged through her small itsy-bitsy kitchen for some Hot Chocolate mix, and found a package. She boiled some water quickly and made the hot cocoa, and took off all her clothes and put on dry pajama's, even though it was around three o'clock in the afternoon. She was freezing cold, and wrapped herself in a blanket. She passed the rest of the day away, reading a book, and also thinking, _So, Cliff and Jack…They're both so cute, sensitive, emotional…and yet one's a homeless freak and the other's my rival. God, I'm attracted to the wrong kinds of people. _ Dawn sipped her cocoa and went to bed early.

****

Author's Notes – I know it seems like I'm doing one day per chapter, but its only gonna be that way for like 4 chapters, okay? Then it'll go differently. ^.^;; Hope you like everything else…

_ _


	3. Three: The Townspeople

.Chapter Three: The Townspeople  
The next morning, it was raining again. (By the way, it was the fifth of Spring.) Dawn got up sleepily at 6 o'clock ("Why the heck do I keep waking up at six o'clock exactly?!") and ate breakfast. She stopped the dog from peeing on the rug in her room. She dressed and went outside in a rain jacket to check on her two plants. They had both sprouted and were doing well.  
"At least they aren't drowning, like how I feel."  
Dawn decided to get to know the townspeople more. So she went to the Florist's.   
Inside was Lillia and another girl that looked like her, with pink hair.  
"Hello," Dawn said, smiling at her.  
"Hello. Are you new here? I haven't seen you before."  
"Oh, yeah. My name's Dawn. I just moved in at the Lone Star Farm."  
"Oh, hi. My name's Popuri. I...help my mom and dad work. My dad travels around the world looking for new plants while my mom sells the seeds. I guess you'll be a customer! Nice to meet you!"  
"Yeah, you too," said Dawn, grinning. "Hey, can you...give me a little history on the town?"  
"Oh, yeah, sure. What do you want to know about?"  
"Oh, I dunno, just how the town came to be and why there's so many Festival's that I've heard of."  
Popuri smiled. "Well, Flowerbud Village was founded around fifty years ago by eight people. That's all. At first it was just going to be a little mining camp-there's a mine up in the mountains-but they loved it a lot here, so they brought their families and started the town. Since then, people have moved here and the town has grown. As for the Festivals...Well, this town is a pretty boring town isn't it?" For a moment Popuri got a sad look in her eyes. But it disappeared as she continued talking. "So they hold lots of Festivals. Is that all you need to know?"  
"Yeah, I guess," replied Dawn. "I'll see you around, kay?"  
"Sure. Bye!"  
Dawn left the store. She went over to the Bakery.  
When Dawn got inside, she saw a brown-haired girl she had not met. The granny was in her rocking chair in the corner of the room, and Jeff was behind the counter.  
Dawn walked up to the girl. "Hi," Dawn said.  
"Howdy. You new here?"  
"Yeah, I'm taking over the Lone Star Farm."  
"I'm Elli. Nice to meetcha." Elli stuck out her hand and shook Dawn's hand as Dawn said, "I'm Dawn."  
Dawn walked up to the counter and looked at all the cakes. She felt very tantalized, since she couldn't eat them. Then Dawn chatted a bit with Ellen, mostly about the town and what it was like just watching things happen. (Obviously Dawn really wanted to know lots about FBV. Hehe, sorry for interrupting, go on!) Then Dawn was about to leave when Jack came in the bakery.  
He looked hot, even though it was raining outside. He saw Dawn and said, "Oh-hi, Dawn."  
"Oh..." Dawn thought she might have blushed, but didn't really notice much. "Hi, Jack."  
They looked awkwardly at each other for a moment; then Dawn said, "So, what's up?"  
"Oh, I was working on the farm, and came to eat something," he said offhandedly. He took some money out of his pocket, then said, "Hey, do you want something to eat? It's on me." He smiled slightly.  
"Oh-" Dawn's stomach screamed, Yes! Yes! But she felt bad about using Jack's money.  
Her stomach won the battle. "Sure," she said, grinning. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Elli watching them closely.  
Jack bought her some cookies while he himself had some cake. They chatted a bit about their passed-away grandfathers, even though both were extremely saddened by the losses they had. Then Dawn threw away her trash and said, "Well, I better be going-lots to do."  
"Yeah, me too." Jack grinned at Dawn, and it made Dawn's heart thump rapidly, and she felt weak in the knees again...  
"Bye!" Dawn said cheerily, and turned towards the door-and her face smacked right into the wall next to the door.  
Dawn took a step backwards, rubbed her nose, and walked through the doorway extremely quickly.  
Oh my GOD how embarrassing! She thought, her face red with shame and pain. I can't believe I walked right into the wall!   
Dawn entered Rick's tool shop.  
"Hi," Dawn said, walking in.  
"Hey," said the man behind the counter, Rick. "Can I help you?"  
"Well, I'm just checking out the shops. I'm new in town, I just took over the Lone Star Farm. My name's Dawn." Dawn shook Rick's hand.  
"Hi. We don't have much to sell, but feel free to look around..."  
Dawn looked around then left.  
Dawn went into the church, and found three kids being taught by the pastor. They were just finishing, though, because the pastor let them leave just as Dawn entered.  
The kids, two boys and one girl, noticed Dawn and ran over to her.  
"Hi! Who are you?" asked the brown haired boy. "I'm Kent."  
"I'm Stu," said the other, black-haired little boy.  
"I'm May," said the black-haired little girl.  
"My name's Dawn," said Dawn, smiling. "I just took over the farm."  
"How cool! Do you have any animals?" asked Kent.  
"Not yet-"  
"I really like flowers." Said Stu.  
"Are you going to grow any?" asked May.  
"Probably-"  
"We gotta go!" exclaimed Kent, and he led the other two kids out of the church.  
Dawn blinked, and she heard the Pastor chucking as he walked up next to her.  
"Kids," he said. "They're so adorable...and yet, they can ruin anything. My name is Pastor Brown. I teach the kids on weekdays and on Sundays I hold the church ceremonies."  
"I'm Dawn," said Dawn.  
Dawn left later and went back to her house. To her surprise, she found Cliff there.  
"Oh...hi," said Cliff, looking embarrassed. One hand was behind his back.  
"Hi," said Dawn, smiling at him. Dawn was getting cold, and wet.  
"Uh...I picked these for you," and Cliff handed her a bunch of wildflowers. "Consider it as repayment for the berries."  
"Thanks, Cliff," Dawn said sweetly, smelling the flowers. "They're beautiful. Do you want to come inside for some hot chocolate?"  
Cliff seemed like he was about to say No, so Dawn grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. (God, he's so shy.)  
Dawn fixed up some hot cocoa and gave Cliff a mug of it. She sat down at the table and sipped hers.  
They were silent for a little while. Then Dawn asked, "So how are you managing?"  
"Oh, I'm living in the cave for awhile," Cliff said. "When I'm hungry I hunt. When I'm tired, I sleep...I just live from day to day."  
"Mmm," Dawn said, drinking more cocoa.   
"How are you adjusting?"  
"I'm...doing okay," said Dawn. "I haven't really made any money yet, my crops haven't harvested yet, and I have no animals..."  
"You'll do well once you get on your feet," Cliff said reassuringly as he set the cocoa mug down. "I really better be going..."  
Cliff got up hastily and walked to the door.  
"See you later," Dawn said, and watched Cliff leave. Then she took a shower.  
When she got out and dressed into drier clothes, she heard a knock on the door. When Dawn opened it, she found Harris there, with a piece of paper in his hand.  
"I've got a letter for you," he said. He handed it to her, then left.  
Dawn curiously opened the letter. It read:  
  
Dawn  
How are you doing, sweetie? I hope you're doing well. And I hope your father didn't give you a bad time when you went to work on the farm. I'm sorry for Jake's passing away, and I'm sorry I couldn't be at his funeral. I hope to visit you with your father in about three years. I hope to see you then!  
We love you  
Mom   
  
Dawn folded up the letter, half angry, half happy. She loved her mom. But why couldn't she have been at her father-in-law's funeral? And why did she send her letters asking how she was doing? She was grown up now. She didn't need looking after.  
Dawn went to bed early that night. Her thought and feelings circled around, first to the letter, then to the flowers from Cliff, then the cake and face-slamming with Jack. Oh, Dawn felt extremely embarrassed whenever she through about that. Dawn squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for a better day tomorrow.  



	4. Four: The Sowing Festival

Chapter Four: The Sowing Festival  
Dawn woke up the next morning. It was sunny and warm. Dawn smiled as the sun shined through the window.  
"Thank God its not raining," she said to herself as she dressed for the day.   
Dawn walked outside and checked on her plants. Her turnips were in harvest. So Dawn watered the potatoes and then tugged one turnip out of the ground. It took her six tries.  
Dawn sighed. She tugged another turnip out quicker. She got used to pulling them out of the earth, and put in all nine turnips in the box.  
By the time Dawn had finished, it was lunchtime. Dawn realized how hungry she was (she hadn't been eating lunch very often) and went inside for a snack.  
For the rest of the afternoon, she strung up a hammock attached to two skinny trees a little ways in front of her house, and then snoozed in it. She felt like napping a little bit. (Only a little bit past the mailbox.)   
She awoke when the shipper came. He paid her a lot of money. She now had 1200G!   
"God it feels good to have money in my hand," she thought.  
Dawn went to the bar. Kai, Karen, the owner of the ranch (Hall) the shipper, and Karen's father were all there. Kai hailed her over and pointed at the seat across from him.  
They ordered drinks from Karen.  
"What's up?" asked Kai, grinning.  
"Nothing much lately," replied Dawn, taking a sip of her beer. "I had a harvest of turnips today, though...and I finally have money!" Dawn grinned.  
"Hey, that's great! The grapes only get harvested in Fall...till then we just water the plants once in awhile."  
They chatted a bit about the town for a little while. Then Dawn noticed Jack and Cliff walk in, together. They were talking and laughing. Obviously they had become friends.  
Jack and Cliff both noticed Dawn just then, and they both walked over.  
Jack said hi to Kai, since he knew him too. Kai scooted over on the bench he was sitting on, and Jack sat down. Cliff took a seat next to Dawn.  
"Hey! What's up?" asked Jack, to both Kai and Dawn.  
"Can I get you anything?" Karen had walked over, and was smiling at Jack. Dawn was surprised with the emotions that suddenly bubbled up in her; Karen was smiling at Jack, and Jack was smiling back; he was giving Karen that grin that she adored, that grin of happiness and warmth that melted Dawn's heart...  
"Yeah," Dawn said loudly, and Karen's head snapped over to her, while her smile disappeared, "I'll have another beer."  
Karen sauntered off airily and brought back Dawn her beer.  
Jack watched Karen in an obviously way while Cliff and Kai talked. Then all four talked about nothing in particular, and then Kai said, "Hey, you farmers know there's a Festival coming up, right?"  
"What?" both Dawn and Jack asked.  
"Yeah," continued Kai, "the Sowing Festival. It's where they release balloons full of seeds while the old King and an assistant fly up in a hot air balloon for awhile. It's nothing much, but to get together with some people."  
"Who was last year's King?" Dawn asked.  
"Me!" Kai beamed. "Yeah, me. I wonder who to ask to go with me?"  
"How do they choose the Kings?" Cliff asked, frowning.  
"During Fall, you eat a cake. If there's a coin in it, you're the next King...Sorry, but only guys can be the King."  
"Obviously," Dawn said, grinning.  
Dawn noticed that Jack was watching Karen again.  
Well obviously; Dawn did note that Karen had pretty green eyes and cool hair and was slim; but so was Dawn; she had long blonde hair and blue eyes like the ocean...  
Dawn was surprised at how she felt about Jack. Why didn't she feel this way with Cliff and Kai?  
A few minutes later, Dawn went home after saying goodbye to the guys. She walked home, looking up at the starlit sky.   
* * *  
The next morning, it was raining again.  
"Damnit," she muttered.   
Outside was the mayor. ("God he creeps me out," Dawn sighed.) He told her that tomorrow was the Sowing Festival, and it started in the morning. Then he left.  
The potatoes were in harvest today. (It was a Friday, the seventh.) She had an easier time pulling up the potatoes today because the rain was making the soil wet and easy to move about. When Dawn was done she went to the Florist's and bought a pack of cabbage seeds, a pack of turnip seeds, and another pack of potato seeds, and talked with Lillia and Popuri. (She was becoming good friends with Popuri.) She planted the seeds while it was raining, so she didn't have to water them.  
The rest of that day, she picked herbs and berries in the forest to sell. She jogged home in time to sell them to the shipper.   
Then she went to the bar again. Kai nor Jack was there, but Cliff was. She sat at the table with him and they talked and drank. Just before Dawn left, Cliff handed her some flowers.  
Dawn felt her face redden, and another rush of emotion to Cliff.  
"Thank you, Cliff," Dawn said, smiling at him. Then she went home.   
* * *  
The next morning, it was sunny. Dawn dressed, watered her plants, and rushed to the Town Square for the Sowing Festival.  
At the Sowing Festival, there were lots of people, but not all the townsfolk. Dawn didn't see the carpenters, or Karen's parents, or a couple of other people. Dawn talked to some of the villagers, and was talking with Ann when the Mayor called for silence.  
"This year's King will now choose an assistant," the Mayor called.  
Kai was standing next to the mayor, and glanced around the crowd. Then he walked up to...Dawn!  
"Will you go up in the balloon with me?" he asked.  
Dawn's face reddened. It was obviously extremely rude to refuse, so Dawn went with him in the balloon.   
When they were high in the sky, Kai remarked, "Wow...If you look down, its looks spectacular."  
Dawn looked down and around. Sure enough, the view was dazzling. Dawn could see the town, the ranch, her farm, Jack's farm, Moon Mountain, and the ocean and the mountains surrounding FBV.   
"Wow," Dawn said, smiling.  
Kai grinned at her.  
The balloons were released around them. Dawn and Kai watched the ballons soar into the air. (They eventually popped. Heehee, ruining the moment, aren't I?) The balloon also had seeds attached in bags, so they threw the seeds out in handfuls.  
Later, everyone went home. Dawn grinned with happiness as she walked home, her arms folded behind her head as she looked at the sky. So now she felt something for Kai, too. Dawn's smile eventually disappeared as she wondered why she liked Jack so much. He was paying attention to Karen, not her. But his smile was so charming, he was so nice and sensitive...Dawn felt weak in the knees.  
In fact, she thought so much of Jack that her knees gave way and she stumbled slightly as she walked into her farm.  
Dawn grinned with embarrassment as her dog burst out of the house, yipping. She held her dog in her arms as she gazed up at the sky.  
  
  
Author's Notes - Well, that waz chapter 4...how waz it? Well, I'll keep writing...There'll be a lotta chapters peeps!!  



	5. Five: Heartache

Chapter Five: Heartache  
For the next one-and-a-half weeks, Dawn spent most of her time working on the farm. She planted lots of plants and harvested her goods. Pretty soon she had quite a bit of money. She had also become very good friends with Popuri and Ann. Maria and Elli were okay friends, and Dawn didn't really talk too much with Karen.   
Dawn had missed the horse race because her horse was still little, and she didn't really want to go to that festival too much, even though everyone was going.  
She had learned from Popuri and Ann that Karen snagged most of the guys, then broke their hearts. Well, not too many of them, just travelers that stopped in the town for awhile. (Ann was best friends with Karen, but she couldn't help enjoying the gossip.)  
One day, on the 19th, Basil (Popuri's father, who had been traveling and had come back on the 15th,) came by the door and told her that people were voting for the Goddess of the Flower Festival. He told her that she was a participant!  
"But I don't wanna be in it," she said stubbornly.  
"Sorry, Dawn," said Basil. "Somebody entered you in it. And there's no backing out of it. You'll find out who the winners are the morning of the Flower Festival."  
Dawn was about to say she didn't look good in a dress, but instead she asked, "When is the Flower Festival?"  
"It's the 23rd," Basil replied, and left. Dawn watered the plants that she had outside (two Turnip plants, one potato, and one cabbage) and then went to visit Ann.  
Ann was outside brushing horses. She stopped when she saw Dawn coming in.  
"Hi!" she called excitedly. "Yay! I'm so happy you're a contestant in the Flower Festival!"  
"But what about you?" asked Dawn, confused.  
"Oh, I'm in it," Ann replied. "But I don't look good in a dress."  
"Me neither," Dawn said glumly.  
"Ah, cheer up!" said Ann. "It won't be surprising if Maria or Karen wins. They win most of the time. Sometimes Popuri wins, too, but neither me nor Elli has ever won yet..."  
"How do we get chosen?"  
"Well, people are voting from today through the 22nd, and then we all dress up on the 23rd and try to look our best. Then we dance and then the Mayor announces the new Goddess."  
Dawn made a face and Ann laughed. Then Dawn left Ann to her chores and visited Popuri, who was watering the flowers outside the shop. (Jeez I always wondered why it took all day...)  
"Well, I hope Maria wins this year," said Popuri as soon as Dawn got there.  
"Why?" asked Dawn.   
"Well, Karen's won two years in a row already," Popuri said, sighing. "This is like a battle none of us'll ever win, since we were kids..."  
"Who was last years-Oh, yeah, nevermind..." Dawn remembered who last year's King was: Kai.  
Dawn went home. To her surprise she found Kai there.  
"Oh...Hi, Kai," Dawn said.  
"Hey," Kai said, grinning at her. "Umm...I have a gift for you."  
Dawn blinked. Why was Kai bringing her a gift now? She didn't have too great of feelings for him.  
He pulled a small box out from behind him. He handed it to her. Dawn opened it and gasped.  
Inside was a beautiful gold chain necklace, with two sapphires and a diamond on it!  
"Oh, wow!" Dawn exclaimed. She could help hugging Kai around the neck. "Thank you, Kai," Dawn said, smiling.  
Kai grew noticeably red. "Heh...No problem," he said, grinning.  
He began to leave. Dawn's mind raced. Her feelings for him had gotten bigger. "Umm...See you at the bar tonight!"   
Kai turned around and grinned. "Okay!" He left.  
For the rest of the day, Dawn foraged through the woods for things to sell. She saw Cliff and talked with him a little bit. Then she sold her things.  
Dawn began to chop some wood also, later that day. She went home and decided to add an extension. But which one?  
"I guess I'll add some stairs to the roof," she thought, and smiled.  
Immediately she went to the carpenters. She asked them to build her some stairs.   
When she got back, Ann was waiting for her.  
"What's up?" Dawn asked, as she walked up to her.  
"I've got good news! Sort of. Well, did you know Popuri's birthday was the day before the Flower Festival?"  
"No," said Dawn.  
"Well, we should have a party for her. And also...I have a date with Cliff!"  
"Oh wow!" Dawn exclaimed. "That's great!" Dawn smiled as she thought of Cliff herself. Well, he did seem the friendly type, but Dawn finally realized that she was not attracted to him in the love-kind of way.   
Dawn grinned at her. Cliff was just a friend, after all. "Hey, look at what Kai gave me today!" Dawn pulled out the necklace that she had not worn yet.  
Ann gasped. "How pretty!" she exclaimed. "He actually gave that to you?!"  
"Yeah," Dawn said, grinning.   
"You should wear it at the Flower Festival," said Dawn. "And wear blue and white. Blue and white flowers in your hair, white skirt, just like everybody else's (except ours are pink) and a blue top with a lei of blue and white flowers!"  
"Hi you guys!" Popuri called from the entrance.  
"Hey!" Ann waved. "We're deciding on Dawn's Flower Festival outfit!"  
"Oooh, let me tell you about my outfit!"  
"Pink everything?" asked Ann, grinning.  
Popuri beamed. "Yep! Also a bit of white, too."  
"So...we don't all have to dress alike?" asked Dawn.  
"No," said Popuri and Ann instantly.  
"I guess I'll just wear yellow and white," said Ann, sighing. "Hey, Popuri," she said, brightening, "look at the necklace Dawn got from Kai!"  
"Wow!" Popuri exclaimed, examining the necklace.  
They began to talk a lot about the Flower Festival when the sun set.  
"Gotta go!" said Ann.  
"Me too!" said Popuri. They both left.  
Dawn walked alone to the bar. She saw Jack and Kai there, but not Cliff. She sat at their table.  
"Hey you guys," Dawn said, grinning.  
Kai and Jack said hello back. They talked a little bit about vegetables and grapes for the heck of it when Karen came sailing by.  
"Can I take your orders?" she asked smugly.  
Dawn noticed both boys looking at her in an odd way.  
"I'll have a beer," said Dawn  
"So will I," said the boys.  
Karen smiled, sort of forcefully, and sailed off. She came back with their drinks.  
Dawn noticed that both boys were in a trance. Dawn cleared her throat loudly and said, "So, who are you guys voting for?"  
Kai and Jack both grinned. "Hey, we aren't telling," they both said.   
"Aww, come on, cant'cha tell little old me?" Dawn asked playfully. "It's not like I'd tell the other girls."  
Jack and Kai grinned, but they still said nothing.  
When Karen went walking by, Dawn noticed that the boys didn't look at her much.  
Dawn left a little while later. Kai caught up with her and walked her home.  
They talked a little bit while walking home. Then, when Dawn was about to go inside, Kai said:  
"So...see you tomorrow?"  
"Yeah." Dawn said, smiling.  
Kai stayed standing. So did Dawn.  
They leaned forward and kissed.  
After a few moments, they broke apart. Dawn was embarrassed and ran inside.  
"Bye!" she called, her spirits soaring as she scrambled to get undressed. She hopped in bed and opened a book. But she was too excited to read.  
***  
The next morning it was sunny again. Dawn visited Kai at the vineyard and felt her spirits soar again. Her heart thudded rapidly and her hands grew slightly sweaty as she talked to him.  
Her feelings increased for Kai each time she saw him. She went and talked with Ann and told her about last night.  
"Ohmigod!" she exclaimed. "Ohmigod!"  
Dawn couldn't concentrate on her work very much as she worked that afternoon. The next morning, she watered the plants, her head swimming with thoughts of Kai.  
It was now the 21st. Ann and Dawn had arranged a party at the Florist's for Popuri's birthday tomorrow. Ann and Popuri's parents would be there, Gray would, Kai would, Cliff would, Jack would, Elli and Maria were going too, and so were the three little children of the town along with the Potion Shop dealer. And of course Dawn and Ann were. It would be a surprise for Popuri when she came back from the mountain, since she would be there all day. (Lillia had asked her to gather herbs and flowers for the day.)   
Dawn saw Kai later that day. They talked a lot before Kai excused himself to go back to work. Dawn's head and heart were swimming. She did not let herself notice how Kai had dismissed her.  
Since all of her chores were done for the day, Dawn decided to go ocean fishing. She got her fishing pole from her house and talked with Popuri, then discussed with Elli the party plans, and what they would get for Popuri. Then Dawn walked to the beach.  
The sun was setting. Dawn was just entering when she dropped the necklace Kai had given her. She bent down to pick it up, and noticed two people snuggling together on the end of the dock. They were talking in low, romantic voices. Dawn's heart nearly stopped when she saw who it was.  
The two people leaned forward, and began to kiss. They kissed, and kissed, and kissed...Dawn's mind was spinning.  
They were Kai and Karen.  
Dawn dropped the necklace she had in her hand and stared at the two. Then, fighting back tears, she ran home. She didn't care if either of them had seen her. They probably would notice, when they left and found the necklace at the entrance. But Dawn didn't care.  
The tears spilled down Dawn's cheeks as she turned the corner out of Green Ranch. If Kai had kissed her, and made her like him, maybe even grow to love him, then why was he kissing Karen too? Why was he playing with Dawn's heart?  
The tears had started to spill down Dawn's cheeks when she ran flat-out into someone. She fell backwards onto the ground. So did the person she had bumped into.  
"Sorry," Dawn mumbled, as she furiously wiped away her tears. She glanced at who the person was and noticed it was Jack.  
"Uhh..." Jack helped Dawn to her feet. "Sorry," he said. Then he noticed in the moonlight the tears Dawn had in her eyes. "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing...it's nothing..." Dawn mumbled, her head bent down as she wiped the tears again.  
"Please tell me," said Jack, his face full of sympathy. Dawn noticed it in his eyes.  
Dawn felt an old surge of emotion for Jack again. It had gone unnoticed since she had been swept away with Kai. "Well..."  
Dawn wiped her eyes again, and told Jack her story.  
"I liked Kai a lot, see? He kissed me...and I grew to like him a lot..." Dawn couldn't see Jack's face anymore, since the moon was now behind him. "But now-now-he was practically making out with Karen on the beach...It's like everyone loves Karen!"  
"I don't," Jack said quietly, but Dawn didn't notice. "Um...I'm...sorry..."  
Dawn sniffled. "Sorry for running into you," she said quickly, and ran home, leaving Jack behind.  
She burst into her house and flung herself down on her bed. She cried. And cried. How could Kai do something like that to her? Dawn thought he liked her. Why else would he have kissed her so passionately?  
It took Dawn thirty minutes to stop crying, and that was when Dawn finally remembered Jack's words of "I don't."   
Why did he say that?   
Dawn went to sleep, her heart full of sorrow, her mind spinning.  
  
* * *  
  
Author's Notes - Well? : ( : ( Sad or not enough describing words? : (   
  



	6. Six: The Party and the Flower Festival

Chapter Six: The Party and the Festival  
The next morning, Dawn got up much later than she usually did   
(OhmiGod! Six thirty!! *Gasp* hehe, actually 9 o'clock) and thought of   
Kai. But then she remembered that today was Popuri's birthday—and   
Dawn didn't even have a gift for her yet!  
Dawn leaped out of bed and took care of the plants she had. She   
had begun to grow some flowers too. Then she went to Green Ranch.  
When Dawn entered, she saw Jack talking with Ann. Curious,   
Dawn walked over to them.  
"Oh, hi Dawn," said Jack, looking surprised to see her there.   
Dawn must have looked surprised, too, because Jack grinned. "I'm   
buying a couple of chickens. Grandpa…ate all his."   
"Hey Dawn," Ann said, grinning. Then she saw something was   
wrong with Dawn. She hurried up the business with Jack and when Jack   
left, she said, "What's wrong? Tell me!"  
Dawn told her what happened last night.  
"Why that—" Ann called Kai a couple of very, very, nasty things : )   
and then, before she could continue, Dawn said, "What have you gotten   
for Popuri?"  
"Oh…yeah…umm…" Ann grinned sheepishly. "I haven't gotten   
anything yet."  
"Then c'mon! We have to go buy her something, maybe they   
have something at the Craftshop."  
Dawn and Ann raced over there. Thankfully, it was not a Monday.   
They went inside and said hello to Saibara, then looked at what he had   
for sale.  
All he had was an ocarina, a brown pot, a flower necklace, a   
flower hair thing (I'm not good with hair stuff…. …) and a little good-  
luck charm.  
"Just what we need," said Ann, grinning as she saw the two flower   
items.  
"I'll get her the hair thing," said Dawn, grabbing it and paying for it.  
"Then I'll obviously get the necklace." Ann paid for that too.  
Dawn's eyes strayed at the ocarina. "And I'll just get a little   
something for myself…" Dawn bought the Ocarina also, then Ann went   
back to Green Ranch while Dawn went to the forest.  
She foraged a lot of items. When she passed by the Goddess'   
pond, she had a little snack of berries. Then she talked to Cliff and the   
Potion shop Dealer. Then she went home, put her items in the box, and   
then left for Lillia's. It was around one o'clock.  
Since Ann and Dawn had thought of the surprise party, Dawn felt   
she had to help set up. She helped Lillia get things ready. After awhile   
Ann came and helped.  
Around two-thirty, people began to arrive. Soon, everybody was   
there but Popuri. She would arrive at three o'clock.   
Dawn talked with everyone, except she managed to avoid Kai,   
until someone cried out, "She's coming!"  
Lillia turned the lights off, and everyone tried to hide somewhere.   
Of course, all there really is to hide behind is a table and a box used as a   
desk, so some people couldn't exactly hide. But everyone was very quiet.  
Popuri opened the door and blinked.  
"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted, hopping out of their hiding   
places as the lights flicked on.  
Popuri jumped practically a mile back, then giggled and said, "Oh   
wow!"  
The party lasted until night. It was very fun, since a lot of the   
adults got drunk (unfortunately) and everybody already knew each other   
well, so there was no uncomfortableness.  
Well, there wasn't any for Dawn, until Kai took Dawn's hand and   
led her outside as the sun was setting.  
"Why are you avoiding me at the party?" he asked. "I   
thought…well, we've made out, right?"  
"Yeah, we've made out, but making out with other people a little   
later isn't always part of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.  
Kai faked surprise. "What are you talking about?"  
Dawn practically blew up. "What am I talking about?! You we   
practically screwing Karen last night at the beach! It's not like I wouldn't   
find out anyway! Why'd you do this to me, Kai? I mean, I thought   
something was happening between us, but then you go make out with   
Karen!" Dawn stomped back inside, before Kai could say anything.   
Kai did not come back inside the party for the rest of the evening.   
Later Dawn needed some fresh air, so she walked alone to the beach,   
after Popuri thanked everyone for the gifts they had given her.  
Dawn sat on the edge of the dock. Fortunately, there was not a   
soul around.   
Good, Dawn thought. Then I won't be able to see people who   
make out in public.   
Dawn breathed in the fresh air, glad she could have some quiet   
time. But she thought she heard a noise behind her, so she turned   
around. She saw Jack walking along the beach towards her.  
Dawn's heart began to thump as he approached her. "May I sit   
down?" he asked.  
"Sure," Dawn said, thinking she sounded too enthusiastic. Jack   
sat down next to her.  
Before Dawn could say anything, Jack pulled something that   
glinted in the moonlight out of his pocket. "Is this yours?"  
Dawn recognized the necklace as the one Kai gave her. Much as   
she hated Kai, Dawn accepted the necklace and smiled at him warmly.  
"Thanks," she said. "Where'd you find it?"  
"It shined while I walked in here. It might need some washing off."  
They were silent for a minute, then Dawn asked, "What'd you get   
for Popuri?"  
"I got her this bouquet of flowers. Guess she really likes it." Dawn   
and Jack both grinned. Anything was wonderful if it had flowers to   
Popuri.  
"I got her a hair…thing. It's got flowers too." Then Dawn giggled.   
"You'd think after turning twenty I'd know the difference between different   
hair tools, but hey I'm just a tomboy at heart."  
Jack grinned. "You don't look like one."  
"Hey, how many non-tomboys would run a farm?"  
"Then, I guess a tomboy wouldn't mind going for a surprise dip?"  
Before Dawn realized it, she was in the water. Jack was laughing.   
Dawn realized she was laughing too.   
"Well, this wet tomboy needs a hand up," she said, laughing. Jack   
offered his hand, and Dawn pulled him in.  
Jack made a big splash. Then Dawn dunked him. They both   
laughed and splashed each other and had a fun time. After a little while,   
it started to get cold. Jack climbed out and helped Dawn up.  
"This was fun," Dawn said, grinning. Jack grinned too.   
Jack still held Dawn's hand from helping her up. "I guess…you're   
still a bit bummed about Kai."  
"Yeah, I guess," Dawn said, frowning. She noticed that her face   
felt very hot.   
Before anything else happened, Dawn let go of Jack's hand and   
began walking home. "Bye!" Dawn called over her shoulder. "See you   
tomorrow at the Festival!"   
Dawn went home, since she noticed that people had left the party.   
Then she picked out the clothes she was going to wear tomorrow. She   
noticed the necklace Jack had given back to her, and despite how much   
she disliked Kai now, she decided to wear it. She also found a gold   
bracelet with a small sapphire on it, and decided to wear that too.   
Dawn climbed in bed after changing in dry clothes. She realized   
she had a pretty fun time with Jack at the beach.  
She grinned to herself. Was she falling in—No, she was just   
falling for Jack.   
Then Dawn realized how lonely she was. Dawn had never been   
in love before; whenever she had fallen for a guy they ended up with   
another girl or died of Mad Cow disease (Eh heh…). Dawn realized how   
she had been neglected by her father, ordered by her mother, and beaten   
by her older siblings. She hadn't exactly ever loved anybody before.   
Except her grandpa.   
Dawn grinned to herself at the thought of Jack. Then she   
wondered who would win this year at the Flower Festival. Grinning,   
Dawn fell asleep with happy thoughts whirling about her head.  
? * * *  
The next morning, Dawn put on her blue-and-white outfit. The   
white, non-sleeved top, light blue skirt (the same type as all the other   
girl's skirts, just a different pretty blue), a few blue-and-white flowers in   
her hair (she had received them to put in her hair, and also to wear as a   
lei) and put on her lei, and then the necklace and bracelet. She also put   
her hair up in a bun. Feeling extremely like a beginner she put on   
makeup too. Looking in the mirror, she thought she looked pretty good.  
Outside, the Mayor and three of the other girls were waiting.   
Karen and Popuri were still getting ready at their houses.   
Ann was wearing yellow and white, much like Dawn's outfit except   
all the blue things were yellow. She had simply a choker yellow necklace   
with a silver star on it. Maria was wearing white. Elli was wearing pink,   
white, and blue.   
The girls all went to the horse track, where they would enter the   
Flower Festival to dance in front of everyone. The Mayor came back later   
with Popuri and Karen.  
Popuri was wearing pink and white, as promised. She had on the   
necklace Ann had given her and the hair thing Dawn had given her. Her   
hair was up in a ponytail and she looked actually quite nice. The gifts   
matched perfectly. Karen had purple, white, and green. Surprisingly it   
was a good combo, since it brought out the color in her eyes.   
The Mayor explained what they would do, yet again: They would   
dance a dance in front of everyone, and then the Goddess would be   
announced. He did not tell who the Goddess was. The Goddess had to   
dance with the King, who was Kai, and the other girls would be asked to   
dance by boys in the crowd.   
After a long while of waiting and talking excitedly (Karen would   
only talk with Ann), the doors opened. The girls walked out in the way   
they were supposed to, all smiling.  
They reached where they were supposed to, and began the   
synchronized dance. Dawn noticed people in the crowd, and saw Jack   
watching her. She noticed Kai was watching her, too.   
After the dance, all the girls curtsied to much applause by all the   
townspeople.   
"And the winner is…Karen! Dawn in second, Popuri third, Maria   
fourth, Ann fifth and Elli in sixth." The Mayor announced.  
Karen smiled, but in a type of way that made Dawn feel disgusted.   
The other girls all smiled and clapped.   
Karen went to stand next to Kai. They smiled at each other.   
Dawn couldn't help noticing the affection between them and felt used; it   
was obvious that they had liked each other for a long time.   
"Now, it's time to start the dancing! Everyone, please choose a   
partner." The Mayor took hold of his wife's hand.  
Dawn didn't expect to be asked to dance. Feeling slightly glum,   
she began to walk towards a bench. She was caught surprised when   
Jack caught her arm.  
"Wanna dance?" he asked, grinning.  
Dawn grinned back and accepted. They walked out to the dance   
floor, where Karen partnered with Kai, Cliff with Ann, Maria with Harris   
and Stu with May were already waiting for the music to start.  
The music began to play. Dawn and Jack, grinning at each other,   
began to dance. Dawn felt her spirit soar as she danced; she felt free as   
she danced with a guy she liked in a skirt (for a change) and she felt like   
there wasn't a care in the world.   
After awhile, the song ended. Breathless, Dawn and Jack went to   
sit down on a bench as people talked and ate some of the food and   
punch, and people began to go home. Dawn bought some Pink Cat Mint   
flower seeds, while Jack did too to grow on his farm.   
Jack and Dawn stayed, and they played more music. Jack and   
Dawn danced again, while some other people did too.   
Later, in the evening, Jack and Dawn left together.  
"Man I'm glad you asked me to dance," Dawn said, grinning. "I   
thought nobody'd ask me."  
"Why?" asked Jack. Both were smiling from the day's festivities.   
"Well, for one thing, I look horrible in a dress. And—"  
"No you don't," Jack said. "You look beautiful."  
"Yeah, right," Dawn said, rolling her eyes but laughing at the same   
time. She was pleased. "Wanna grab a beer?"  
"Yeah, sure. It's on me. And, by the way, you dance really   
beautifully. And well, too."  
"Thanks! Really?"  
They went to the bar. They got some drinks (Karen was not   
working) and sat with Cliff and Ann, who were both there.  
"Hey guys!" Dawn said, sliding in a seat across from Ann.  
"Oh, hi!" Ann exclaimed. "Wasn't that fun? This is the first Flower   
Festival that anyone's danced with me! And Dawn, man, I'd say you   
danced better than Karen!"  
"No I didn't," said Dawn, grinning embarrassedly.  
"Yeah, you did," put in Cliff. "You were pretty good. If dancing   
was a race, then you'd be first. Of course, Ann here," and Cliff grinned   
teasingly, "would probably come in last."  
"Hey!" Ann playfully hit the back of his head, then Dawn and Ann   
talked and gossiped while the guys talked about their stuff.  
Later, the guys walked the girls home.  
"I had a really good time with you today," both Jack and Dawn   
said at the same time when they reached Dawn's door.  
Dawn grinned. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."  
Jack and Dawn looked up at each other. Dawn became aware of   
her thumping heart and hot face.  
The tension grew between both of them. They leaned in and   
kissed.   
After a couple of minutes, they both released. "Yeah," Jack said,   
grinning widely. Dawn smiled, and ran inside.  
She hopped into bed after changing. Now she had kissed Jack,   
too! She felt happy, but something told her that maybe Jack was going to   
be like Kai; a double-crossing son of a b***h. So Dawn went to sleep,   
confused.  
  
  
  



	7. Seven: Lost

Chapter Seven: Lost  
  
The next few days passed by peacefully. Dawn went to the bar at   
night a little bit with Jack, but whenever she was there Kai was not. She   
got her work done, and grew a nicely sized field, and she made a lot of   
money. : ) She also became better friends with everyone in town, except   
for everyone at the vineyard.  
Kai's probably making out with Karen every night, Dawn thought,   
making a scowl as she entered the bar the last night of Spring.   
Dawn had begun to talk with Karen, but she didn't like her very   
much. She seemed the kind of person that Dawn would be enemies with   
for the rest of her life. (She had known too many in high school.)   
On the first day of Spring, Dawn walked outside and was   
surprised to see Ann there.   
"Hi Dawn!" Ann exclaimed. "Guess what! Tonight's the Fireworks,   
and I'm watching them with Cliff!"  
"Wow!" Dawn exclaimed. "So, you guys are pretty serious, huh?"  
"Yeah!" Ann was gleeful. "Well, I hope we have a serious   
relationship. See you later!" Ann left. A little later, Popuri came over too.  
"Hi!" Popuri called.  
"Hey Popuri!" Dawn said.  
"Guess what," said Popuri.  
"Fireworks tonight?"  
"Yeah. And someone asked me to watch with them!"  
"Who?" asked Dawn, interested.  
"Gray!"  
"Gray?!"  
"He actually is a nice guy. Has anyone asked you to watch with   
them?"  
"No," said Dawn. "I think I'll ask someone myself."  
"Okay," said Popuri. "See you later!" Popuri left too.  
Dawn got all her work done—which was just watering the flowers--  
and was just leaving when Jack entered her farm.  
"How many visitors today?" Dawn called to Jack, grinning.  
"I don't know, but will you watch the Fireworks with me?"  
Dawn smiled brightly. She felt good; she was going to ask Jack   
herself if she could. "Okay. Do you have any place in mind where you   
want to watch?"  
"Not really."  
"How about watching from my roof?" Dawn suggested, pointing at   
her house. "I've got stairs inside leading up."  
Jack grinned. "Sure," he agreed.   
"I'll meetcha at six, okay?" Dawn said.  
"Okay! Bye!" Jack left too.  
Dawn walked to the Florist's and bought two packages of   
tomatoes and one of corn. Lillia told her about the Vegetable Festival.  
"If you have a harvested vegetable, you can enter it in the Festival   
and maybe win a prize for it. Plus you'll be known for having the best   
vegetables."  
"Thanks, I'll remember that." Dawn left. She decided to buy some   
treats for the fireworks, so she went to the Bakery to buy some cookies.  
Dawn talked with Elli a bit and learned that she was going to   
watch the fireworks with Jeff. After Dawn left the bakery, she made a   
gagging sound. Did she actually FALL for that guy?!? He was, like, 60!!  
Dawn went back to Ann's place and told her she was watching the   
fireworks with Jack.  
"How cool!" exclaimed Ann. "Where are you going to watch   
them?"   
"From my roof," said Dawn. "Well, I gotta go, see you tomorrow!"  
Dawn went home, planted her seeds, and then foraged for more   
money. By the time she got home, it was 4:30.  
She put the things in the box. The shipper came and paid her.  
Then Jack arrived. Dawn grinned and said as she handed him a   
pack of cookies, "We can watch from the roof. These are your snacks."  
Dawn led him inside and up the stairs. They sat on the roof and   
ate some cookies while they waited for the fireworks.  
"How often did you visit your grandpa?" asked Dawn after a short   
while of silence.  
"Every summer," replied Jack. He sat closer to Dawn. "We'd   
always watch the Fireworks and go to the Firefly Festival. Then I'd have   
to go home."  
"Sounds nice," Dawn says. "I didn't visit here often, but when I   
did, I didn't get to stay for Festivals."  
"That bites," Jack said.  
The fireworks began. They watched them silently.  
When they were over, Jack turned to her. "I brought some   
sparklers," he said. "Wanna light 'em?"  
"As long as my house doesn't burn to ashes," Dawn said, grinning.   
They lit them, and held them over the sides. Dawn waved hers   
around in the air, watching how the light illuminated the space around it.   
Before the sparklers died, Jack said, "This reminds me of all those   
fireworks I watched with Grandpa…"  
The sparklers died eventually. Dawn and Jack went downstairs,   
and Dawn led Jack to the door.  
"See you tomorrow," Dawn smiled.  
"See you tomorrow," Jack replied, leaning over and kissing her.   
Then he left.  
Dawn smiled, feeling fluttery inside, and hopped in bed.  
***  
The next morning, Dawn left early after tending to her crops and   
her dog and horse. Dawn finally named her dog Kirby, since he was a   
boy. She talked with some villagers and ate lunch, then went into the   
forest.  
Dawn decided to forage as much stuff as she could today, and   
make lots of money. She wanted to get more extensions on her house.  
Dawn picked a couple of berries by the fisherman's tent, and   
caught a couple of (medium) fish too. She moved to by the carpenters   
cabin and foraged for fruit and walnuts there, too. She went in the cave   
and got some herbs. Then she went to the Goddess' pond and got the   
few things in there. Dawn stopped and looked at the pond.  
"Sometimes I really wish there was a goddess here," Dawn sighed   
to herself, gazing in the water.   
Dawn's ears twitched, as she thought she heard a very, very faint   
sound, like leaves or twigs crackling. Dawn glanced at the woods on her   
left, and shuddered at the sight of the forest. It looked like you could   
easily get lost in there.  
Dawn moved back to the river and looked over the edge. She   
was at a point where the water was pretty far below. She climbed the   
tree up to the higher point of the mountain to catch the view. She gazed   
around, able to see mountains and Jack's farm and Flowerbud Village,   
and what looked like a couple of buildings far out on one of the nearby   
mountains.  
Dawn leaned cautiously over the edge slightly to look at the water.   
It looked pretty, at this time of day, with the sunlight shining down on it.  
Suddenly, Dawn felt something tighten around her ankle. Her   
ankle twisted sharply; a sharp pain went up it and she tottered and lost   
her balance, falling over the side of the cliff!  
Using instincts, Dawn twisted around quickly and grabbed wildly.   
She caught a protruding root a couple of feet from the top of the cliff.  
Dawn burned with anger. Who would do that?  
Dawn tried climbing up, but when she set her foot to a small point   
of the rock that stuck out, it broke off and her foot slipped, so she lost   
balance completely except for her hand on the root. Her other foot   
screamed with pain. Dawn guessed it was sprained.  
She glanced nervously at the water far below her. She felt a pang   
of panic, and then looked back up again at the top of the cliff, beyond her   
reach and beyond her ability to reach.  
She tried to climb up a bit to reach the cliff top, but she slithered   
badly again as her hand on the root began to sweat and slip.   
"HELP!" she called loudly. She hated this; giving in to help.   
"HEEEEEELLLP!"  
She kept calling for help, surprised that nobody had heard her yet,   
and finally, just as her hand began to sweat so badly that she was in   
danger of falling off the cliff, she saw Jack's head peep over the side of   
the cliff.  
"JACK!" screamed Dawn, in his face. "Help me up!"  
"Okay, okay!" Jack reached down as far as he could, and   
grabbed Dawn's hand holding the root. With his other arm, he grabbed   
her other hand and pulled her up back to the top of the cliff.  
Dawn panted, trying to get over her fear and to get her breath   
back.  
"Thank you!" she exclaimed. "I thought I was going to—Ouch!"   
Jack had noticed how Dawn's ankle had looked and poked it.  
"I think your ankle's sprained," he said, matter-of-factly. "C'mon,   
I'll take you to my house and get your ankle bandaged."  
He helped Dawn to her feet, and was helping her walk when they   
found Dawn could not walk at all. So Jack pick Dawn up.  
"Hey," Dawn said, going red, "you don't need to carry me. This is   
embarrassing…" But she really liked this; she could get a close-up on   
Jack's muscular arms as they carried her.   
He took Dawn back to his house. His house was pretty shabby; in   
fact, it was quite like Dawn's own house. He set her on the bed and left   
the room, coming back shortly with some bandage wrap and an ice pack.  
Jack bandaged up Dawn's ankle and placed the ice pack on it.  
"How'd you sprain it and fall off the cliff?" Jack asked her while he   
was wrapping her ankle.  
"Oh…Something tightened around my ankle while I was looking   
down at the water. It sprained my ankle when I turned around to see why   
it had tightened, and made me lose my balance." Dawn sighed. "I think   
somebody did that to me…"  
"Why? Do you have any enemies in town?"  
"Not that I know of…I at least know everybody, but I don't talk with   
the vineyard people at all…"  
"Maybe it was Kai or Karen…" Jack said thoughtfully, then   
clamped his mouth closed. "Why am I thinking like that? I don't think   
they have anything against you, Dawn…But they don't really seem to like   
you…Kai and I are still friends, of course."  
Dawn smiled weakly. She noticed that the sun was setting. "I'd   
better go home," she said.  
"I'll help you home," Jack answered.  
They left the house, Jack helping Dawn. They were heading   
toward the hill up the back side of Moon Mountain when Jack stopped.  
"Do you hear something?" he asked.  
Dawn stood still and listened. She could hear a sound, as a   
matter of fact; there was stomping on twigs and dry leaves, and it   
sounded like a person. Then the sounds stopped.  
The sun had set by now; the stars were beginning to come out as   
the last bits of light sunk below the surface behind them.   
Jack and Dawn were quiet for a moment, holding perfectly still.  
Then suddenly an animal stepped out of the trees in front of them.   
It was a gigantic brown bear.  
Jack turned around. "Run!" he said.  
Dawn tried to run. Her ankle hurt horribly but she was able to.  
The giant bear dropped to four legs and began to chase the two.   
They were going to go into Jack's farm, but the gate was locked for a   
strange reason.  
"Why's it locked?" Jack muttered distractedly.  
"No time to waste here!" Dawn squeaked, grabbing Jack's arm.   
"That bear's going to get us!"  
They ran past Jack's farm, with the bear following them. They ran   
into the forest, trying to lose the bear.  
After a long time, Jack and Dawn slumped down against trees.   
"We lost him," Jack said, panting for breath.  
Dawn didn't reply; she needed oxygen too badly.   
After awhile, Dawn said: "Where are we?"  
They both looked around. All they saw was trees, trees, trees.   
Above them were a few patches of night sky among the leaves.  
"I think we'll have to sleep here tonight," Jack said, looking weary.   
"We'll find our way back in the morning."  
"Good idea," Dawn murmured. She was getting tired.  
Dawn took off her backpack, which she remembered was full of   
food, and rested her head on a rock, lying down curled at the base of a   
tree.  
"If you want I can start a fire," Jack offered.  
"No thank you." Dawn felt like being left alone for a couple of   
moments.  
After awhile she fell fast asleep. She did not hear Jack go to   
sleep before she did.  



	8. Eight: Still Lost

Chapter Eight: Still Lost…  
  
Dawn awoke the next morning. She opened her eyes blearily and realized she was shivering. Wondering why, she finally noticed the sunlight filtering through the green leaves overhead and could hear the birds chirping. Jack was leaning against a tree nearby, slightly snoring.  
  
Dawn pulled out some food from her backpack. She only took out a little, in case they were stuck in the woods for a long time.  
  
Then she woke Jack up, and gave him some food.  
  
After they ate, Jack looked at Dawn.  
  
"Well?" he said. "Should we go?"  
  
"Go where?" asked Dawn, confused.  
  
"Skinny dipping, of course."  
  
Dawn grinned at him.  
  
"Well," said Jack, growing serious, "we might be able to get out of this woods if we walk in a straight line."  
  
"And that'll help us…how?"  
  
Jack shrugged. "Well, when we ran in here last night, we mostly ran straight. Partially. Losing the bear was difficult, so we dodged trees and things to get out of its way. So I figured we could go back that way too."  
  
"A good plan," replied Dawn, smiling. "But we can follow those too."  
  
She pointed at some footprints leading somewhere into the forest. Jack grinned and said, "Yes, we could do that." They picked up their stuff and after a few minutes followed the footprints leading out of the clearing, not noticing the second pair leading into the clearing from the other direction.  
  
Jack and Dawn trudged along, following the outward footprints for a long time before they noticed anything wrong.  
  
By that time, they had begun to walk up a hill with no trees, only tall grass. It was around noon, and they were sweaty, hot, and tired.  
  
"I don't remember this," Dawn said.  
  
"Neither do I," replied Jack grimly.  
  
The sun was shining brightly, though it wasn't as hot as it would usually be around noon, which was a relief. They reached the top of the hill and turned around to look at where they had come.  
  
The hill was taller than it had seemed. It overlooked most of the forest that they had walked through. From where they were, they could see the ocean, though it was a lot farther away than they thought. They could see Flowerbud Village too, but it only looked like a couple of white blocks by the beach from where they were. They could see Moon Mountain, and just barely Jack's farm, which both seemed about four miles away.  
  
"That's weird," said Jack. "I didn't think we ran that far into the forest."  
  
"But we have been walking for at least three hours in the wrong way," insisted Dawn.  
  
She turned around to get a glimpse on the scenery behind them—and stumbled back, falling on her butt.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" she exclaimed.  
  
A person had been peering at the back of her head. When Dawn had turned around they had been nose-to-nose.  
  
Jack jumped at the sound and stared at the person, looking confused and at a loss of words, but mostly disgusted by the person's state.  
  
The "person" was, let's say, a hillbilly. He wore faded, huge overalls with no shirt, a straw hat, a piece of grass hanging out of his mouth—the traditional hillbilly look. His arms and face were bony, and he had a weird, gawking look as he stared at Dawn and Jack.  
  
"Well ain't you jus' da purrdiest people 'round here?" he said, grinning a missing-toothy face at them both. "Lookie your nice clothes 'n all. Why you'd think you wasn't even a hillbilly!"  
  
"We aren't," said Dawn, feeling utterly disgusted as the man peered forward. The hillbilly seemed to be around thirty.  
  
Then Jack and Dawn noticed what had been behind them. Far in the distance, two tall mountains loomed, the tops hanging in the clouds, but those mountains couldn't be seen from Moon Mountain. Before those hills were more forest, though there were lots of hills, which the forest covered. Immediately behind them though was about six houses—run down, and about twenty people (lol) peering out doors or going around with their business. It was a hillbilly town—pretty unusual.  
  
Three people walked up behind the first hillbilly as the first hillbilly said, "My name's Tom—welcome to Hilly Village!"  
  
Jack and Dawn wrinkled their noses at the sight of the town and the bony faces of everyone suddenly peering at them. Dawn decided to be nice, and nudged Jack to be quiet.  
  
"Hi," Dawn said, flashing a nice smile. "My name is Dawn. This is my friend Jack. We were—"  
  
"You trespassin' on our territory, don't'cha know?" said one of the big, burly men behind Tom. He seemed older, and wider, but has the same facial things as did Tom. He also had a rifle in hand.  
  
"We're very sorry," Dawn said hurriedly. "We didn't mean to trespass on anyone's land. See, we got lost from our village—"  
  
"Aye, you from Flowerbud?" said the lady next to Tom. She seemed to be his mother. "Why don't'cha all rest up now? You'll need to walk back later."  
  
Dawn smiled gratefully and followed the lady as she led them to one of the houses. She told her all about her son Tom, who was unmarried (what a surprise) and about how "he should settle down with a nice young gurl."  
  
Jack had been led away by the man who had seemed to be Tom's father. Tom had followed them in the house.  
  
The mom, whose name was Darci, told Dawn to take a seat and served her some food. Tom sat down next to her, really closely and extremely uncomfortably. Dawn inched away.  
  
Darci served them some food. Dawn wrinkled her nose at it—it didn't seem entirely sanitary, but it was okay. She ate her food and wondered where Jack was.  
  
Jack was having a very weird and hard time. The hillbillies seemed not to like him and had taken him round the field to "have a little chat" with him. Instead of talking, Tom's father and two other hillbillies started throwing punches at him, and Tom's father said:  
  
"Well, we can't have you in the way if Tom's supposed to marry that Dawn of yours!"  
  
A/N: lol, I know it sucks right now, but I'm still writin!! I have other fics to keep continuing too, and I BEG ya to keep reading my fics ya'll!! ^.~ Till the next chapter…! 


	9. Nine: Found

1 Chapter Nine: Found  
  
A/N – I know the end of the last chapter was extremely random. Erm, I hope you still read these!! Eh heh heh…And if there ARE any real hillbillies out there (lol) I'm sorry! *wink wink*  
  
  
  
Jack quickly avoided two of the punches but couldn't dodge the third, which landed straight in his gut and made him gasp for breath. Then they kicked him, making him fall down. Then Tom's father continued stomping on him. Jack fiercely squirmed and wriggled, but one of the other hillbilly's foot had caught him by the neck and he was stuck where he was.  
  
Jack stopped wriggling and squeezed his eyes tight, bracing himself for the continuous stomps. Then, when Tom's dad didn't expect it, he kicked up in the air and knocked his foot away. He kicked at his legs and tripped him up. Then Jack yanked on the other guy's leg, and stood up quickly.  
  
Jack was naturally out of breath. While he paused to regain his strength, another hillbilly grabbed him from behind and held his arms.  
  
Jack broke out of it, and then, realizing he didn't have much hope, broke into a run down the hill into the forest. He was headed back for Flowerbud Village.  
  
"Leave that scrawny lil' punk be," said Tom's father as the other hillbilly's started to go after him. "Its nawt lahk he's gunna come back or anythang."  
  
Dawn, meanwhile, had become extremely bored and anguished. Tom kept moving closer to her, and Darci kept talking about Tom; how wonderful he was, how many people he'd attempted to shoot with his shotgun, how many kids he had with a local girl who had died recently…It went on and on and on.  
  
Finally the sun began to set. "Well, you may as well stay here for the night," said Darci. "There's a bedroom over there." Darci pointed to the only door besides the entrance.  
  
Dawn protested, saying she had to get back to Flowerbud Village, but Darci shushed her and put her in the room.  
  
Dawn frowned and sighed. Where IS Jack? She thought despairingly.  
  
Inside the room was a very beat-up bed, a window, and a shabby, small table. That was all. Dawn walked over and sat down on the bed.  
  
It became dark. (Remember, hillbillies don't have electricity ^_^) Dawn pulled out her flashlight and climbed under the covers.  
  
Her bed stank like something disgusting. She didn't really want to know what it was, but she had a feeling she knew what it was.  
  
She wondered whether they'd let her go tomorrow or not. They'd better, she thought. She wondered why they kept her here at all, too. Stupid hillbillies.  
  
Dawn stared at the ceiling for a long time, after turning off her flashlight. Eventually she dropped off to sleep.  
  
Dawn awoke much, much later to the bounciness of the bed. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw…Tom getting in bed?!?  
  
Dawn screamed, "WHAT THE HELL?!?" and jumped out of bed, staring at Tom. "What're you doing in here?!?"  
  
Tom blinked dumbly. "Getting' in bed wit'choo," he said, frowning slightly.  
  
"WHY?!?"  
  
"Sex!"  
  
Dawn's mouth dropped open. She marched across the room and slapped him as hard across the face as she could, then slapped him on the other side too. She was pretty strong; after all, she worked on a farm. She was furious.  
  
Tom laughed and made to grab at her, but Dawn easily ducked and then ran for the door. Right before she could turn the knob though, the door opened and Darci was there, glaring at her. "GO BACK TO BED!" she screamed at her. Dawn would have shoved her down and sprinted for the door if she hadn't been holding a frying pan in one hand and a pitchfork in the other.  
  
Dawn instead glared at both of the hillbillies. "I am NOT sleeping in the same room as him!" she screeched, pointing at Tom.  
  
Darci frowned. "Fine then. Tom, get out." Tom sulked out, winking at Dawn as he left. Dawn glared at him so viciously he trudged out a little faster.  
  
Darci fixed Dawn with a penetrating glare. "You're gonna marry mah son Tom, ya know," she growled menacingly. "In two days, in the evenin', the wedding'll take place."  
  
"WHAT?!?" screamed Dawn. Before she knew it, her legs were moving with a rush of adrenaline to the door, but Darci jabbed at her leg with the pitchfork. She felt the spikes piece through her jeans and into her thigh. She pulled back, glaring at Darci and staring horrifiedly down at the three small spots of blood in her left thigh.  
  
Her leg started tingling. Fortunately the points hadn't gone in too deep, but she wouldn't be running races now, that was for sure. She limped over to the bed, stunned by the news and by her leg—mostly her leg. But…what the hell was going on? … Her mind slipped in and out of consciousness, and she flopped down on the bed in a deep faint.  
  
***  
  
When Dawn woke again, the sun was up and hillbillies were all about in the little… 'village'. She stayed in her room.  
  
About 20 minutes after she woke up, Darci walked in, made her get up by pitchfork, and took her out into the main hall. Two other hillbilly women were there and they started measuring Dawn for her wedding dress.  
  
Privately Dawn wondered what type of dress it would make.  
  
Dawn kept protesting. "I don't WANT to marry Tom though!" she kept screeching loudly.  
  
The ladies each ignored her until the last time, where Darci exclaimed, "Oh but you DO! He's a very handsome, strong man, and he'll always keep you safe!"  
  
Dawn's definition of a man like that was definitely NOT Tom. In fact, it rather reminded her of Jack…  
  
Dawn found her mind slipping to Jack. She wondered where he had gone to and what had happened since yesterday. She frowned and thought a little bit. Obviously she had to escape TONIGHT, or early in the morning. There was no way in hell she was going to stick around long enough for her to get married under Tom's father to Tom against her will!  
  
Dawn wondered how she'd escape. The hillbillies were stupid. There was no doubt. True, Darci WAS a little clever, but most of the hillbillies weren't. But, she remembered something her mother had once said: 'Never underestimate the power of stupid people.' Dawn had no idea what the hell she had been talking about then, and she still doesn't to this day, but this was true in this case. All the men hillbillies probably had rifles, and if Dawn didn't stop running when they spotted her they'd probably fire.  
  
No problem then, Dawn thought. I just won't be seen.  
  
After awhile, they finished fitting Dawn for the wedding dress, and Darci took her outside.  
  
Dawn wondered why on Earth Darci would do something, if she could just escape. Then she saw that she wanted Dawn to do some farm work.  
  
Well, I'm not a farmer for nothing! She thought exasperatedly. But I didn't expect to do someone else's work…  
  
Darci showed her to the field with four other men hillbillies who farmed. They kept a careful eye on Dawn, so she wouldn't escape.  
  
They were planting spring vegetables. Though Dawn thought it a bit odd that they plant them in the beginning of Summer, she quietly planted her section of seeds and watered them.  
  
She did this all day long. By the time Darci showed her inside, it was sunset. The back of her neck was sunburned and she ached all over.  
  
Dawn flopped down in her bed as soon as she had forced down the stuff Darci had made for dinner. She hadn't seen Tom all day—fortunately. At least he wasn't visiting her at night…  
  
Dawn sat up and looked out the window. She could see the ocean, though very faintly. That means Flowerbud Village is over there too… she thought, sighing. Jack! Ann, Popuri, Cliff! I want to be back with you guys!!  
  
Dawn fell asleep much, much later, nearly in tears with hysteria.  
  
***  
  
Dawn had a dream that night. She dreamed that she was sitting on the roof of her house, and a mad hillbilly who resembled Tom, only was much, MUCH bigger was running over to her. His head reached the roof and he could climb on top. Then Jack was there too, and the hillbilly and Jack had a fight. Jack ran away. Tom reached a hand out to Dawn, who slapped at it and scrambled to the other side of the roof and jumped off, onto her horse. She rode on her horse like the wind to the forest. There was Darci, with an ugly, slutty black-and-white dress in her hand, chanting over and over, "Here's your wedding dress, Dawn!" Over and over. And over, and over, and over…  
  
Today's the wedding, thought a voice in Dawn's head before she even woke up.  
  
The voice, along with the dream, woke Dawn up completely in nearly one second flat.  
  
Dawn sat up in bed, eyes popping. She sighed and closed her eyes, massaging her skull.  
  
And opened them again. It was still nighttime, but the sky was pinking in the east.  
  
Now's my chance! Thought Dawn hysterically. She hopped out of bed silently, and grabbed her backpack. Remembering that she had food in it, she stuffed some berries in her mouth and slipped on her shoes (she kept sleeping in her clothes).  
  
Dawn took a deep breath. If she was seen, they'd take her back to this hellhole, where she did chores for someone else and would have to marry a perverted sick hillbilly and where everyone was mean and where she didn't have friends…  
  
Dawn felt a rush of adrenaline and a rush of terror. Something about the chill morning air when she opened the window, and about the silence of it all, and the dew when she closed the window softly and sparkles of water fell on her face from the window and from tall grass flicking dew in the wind, seemed to scare her. Must be something from when I was a kid, she decided, and stealthily crouched across to the next house.  
  
She walked behind the house, where there were no windows. On her right was the house, and on her left was the hill gently sloping downwards and the forest and some mountains in the distance. Somehow, she had to sneak around the next house and run down the hill and into the forest. Flowerbud Village was straight ahead, about five miles.  
  
Dawn sprinted in the space between the two houses and ran behind the next house. The sun was just rising; mist on the ground was now visible, and the sky was pinker in the east, and pale purplish everywhere else.  
  
Dawn took a deep breath as she reached the corner of the house. She was going to be running where she could be seen by anyone awake; if she was seen—Well she WOULDN'T be seen.  
  
Run or stay, she told herself. If she didn't run now, who knows who would wake up and capture her? If she ran now, who knows who was awake to tell everyone?  
  
Her nerves were screaming. Her brain was screaming. Her feet were itching to sprint, but something held her back. She hardly dared to breathe, she was so scared; she felt like she was about to commit a huge crime that would earn her instant death as the penalty—  
  
Finally her nerve broke. She sprinted across the space before the hill started sloping down to the forest. She knew what was behind her; all six of the houses were partially facing her, but if she stopped now they'd catch her—  
  
"AYE! WHERE YOU GOIN', DAAAWN?!?" yelled a voice.  
  
Dawn's heart skipped three beats and she sprinted like hell, faster than she'd ever run before. She didn't dare look back. But then she realized the voice was coming from in front of her—  
  
Too late, Dawn tried to skid to a stop, but she ran right into Tom with two dead fish in his hands. He had been fishing.  
  
It figures, Dawn thought, SOMEbody had to be awake.  
  
Tom was holding her tightly, his muscles straining to keep her in her arms. Her rush of adrenaline was too strong; she struggled furiously, fighting, clawing to get away—  
  
"Let me GO!" she screamed. "I wanna go home! LET ME GO!!!" But his grip was too strong, and no matter how hard she twisted she could not get out.  
  
"Dawn?!?" shouted a new voice. Dawn looked up hopefully.  
  
Jack was riding through the woods on Dia, her pony. He saw Dawn as Dawn screamed, "JACK! HELP ME!"  
  
Jack pounded on towards her with Dia, while Tom tried to drag Dawn up the hill. "Dawn!" he shouted frantically. "Hang on!"  
  
Tom suddenly let go; Surprised, Dawn looked up and wondered why. He was running up the hill towards his house. She for an instant lost her balance and toppled over on the grass, and Jack swept up beside her on Dia.  
  
Jack fell off of Dia next to Dawn and crouched beside her.  
  
"Dawn?" he asked, his voice ragged with his breath lost. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye, inches from eachother's faces.  
  
"Jack—Jack—" Dawn breathed heavily, and Jack crushed his lips into hers and they held the moment for a long time, their arms wrapped around eachother. Then Jack pulled Dawn up on the horse, Jack in front. "I'm probably faster," he said, and slapped the reins to get Dia to trot into the forest.  
  
But now Tom was back with three others; the other three held pitchforks, and Tom himself had a rifle.  
  
"Stawp rahght there, lil missie and mister!" shouted Tom. He took aim with the rifle.  
  
Jack's nerves must have broken too—Dia scampered faster than Dawn thought possible. A shot rang and the branch next to Dawn's head that they were passing snapped with the force of the bullet. Another rang and a rock next to Dia's right front hoof sang with the sound of, well, a rock being shot.  
  
But they lost them; the hillbillies were gone; they were safe from them and their guns and their hostility and their marriage…  
  
"Dawn!" screamed a new voice. Ann and Popuri were on a horse up ahead, with Cliff on another horse. They were now in the clearing that Jack and Dawn had woken up in four days ago. Four days ago? It seemed much longer ago than that to me, Dawn thought.  
  
Ann and Popuri both slipped down from the horse that they were on and ran over to her. "Dawn! Dawn!" they kept screaming.  
  
"Oh my Goddess!" Popuri cried, as they both hugged her.  
  
"We thought we'd never SEE you again, the Mayor's had search parties everywhere, Jack and Popuri and Cliff and I have been so worried—"  
  
"Where WERE you?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it just yet," Dawn said quietly. Suddenly she felt extremely quiet. "I just want to get home…"  
  
Ann and Popuri understood. They ran over to their horse and mounted, and Jack helped Dawn back up on Dia. He sat behind her and took hold of the reins.  
  
"I took care of your horse and crops while you were gone," he said softly in her ear.  
  
Dawn smiled and leaned against him. She was too tired to say anything, but Jack understood.  
  
  
  
A/N: Lol, that chapter was random too!! I kinda didn't like the hillbilly episode and got stuck on it, which was why I stopped adding chapters for so long. (The next chapters'll be out soon!) I've got it aaaaaaaallllllll worked out on how I want to end this story…Expect at least four more chapters ya'll!! BAAAAIIIII!!!!!!!! (Man, I love the end of this chapter. *sniffoos* ^_^) I wuz gunna wait till tomorrow (2 – 5 – 01) but decided to put it up tonite instead…I LOVE my own story!! lol 


	10. Ten: The Firefly Festival

Chapter Ten: The Firefly Festival (and an apology)  
  
A/N - I hope you like this chapter!!! I really really wanna put up all the chapters of this story so I can go on and finish alla mah other stories, but I need to write these chapters first!! @.@ Oy vey...N e wayz, enjoy!  
  
Jack rode Dawn home on Dia, after Ann and Popuri reassured Dawn that they would see her later, after they all got some sleep. Jack walked her inside, watched her get in bed, then said that he was feeling wide-awake and refused to listen to her protests and took care of her crops.  
  
Dawn could not express her great feelings of gratitude towards Jack. He's always there for you, she thought as her mind began to slip to the subconscious, lying in her bed that didn't smell like anything bad. That's what I like about Jack. He doesn't turn his back on anyone...Or give up...Other guys just aren't the same...Dawn slowly drifted off to sleep.  
  
When she woke up later, it was ten o'clock. She had woken because someone was knocking on her door loudly.  
  
"Who is it?" she mumbled groggily as she stood up and opened the door.  
  
"HI DAWN!" exclaimed three small voices. Dawn looked around, and then down. The three kids of the village had come to visit her.  
  
"HIHIHI!" exclaimed Stu.  
  
"Tell us what happened to you!!" blurted out Kent.  
  
"Please?" added May.  
  
Dawn smiled. "Sure."  
  
Dawn walked over tot he doghouse, fed Kirby, and held him in her lap. Then Dawn told them all about what had happened; how they got lost, where they went to, and everything.  
  
When she was done, the kids all looked excited. "Cool!" they exclaimed. "We already heard Jack's part of the story, it all fits in together and it's all so cool!!" They stopped for a minute, listening, and then they said suddenly, "We have to go! See you later!!" and they sped off.  
  
Dawn worked on her farm, planting summer flower seeds, some more tomatoes, and tending to her other crops that Jack had seen to while she was gone. During the day, people came by and visited her and said things like, "Welcome back!" and some gave her gifts of food and such. They often traveled in crowds.  
  
Ann and Popuri came by too and they helped her out a bit with some chores, and then they talked about things and Dawn told them her story.  
  
"Wow," Ann breathed when she had finished. Popuri let out a gasp.  
  
"What a freakin' PERVERT!!" she screamed about Tom.  
  
Then they left. By the time Jack came over, nearly everyone in the village had visited, and Dawn had about 10 new items, mostly food like a pear or an apple or cookies. Jack and Dawn had a little dinner together on a newly-built porch in front of her house (the carpenters had built it for her while she was gone, lucky!!!) and watched the sunset, and talked about what had happened to them. Jack told Dawn that tomorrow was the Firefly Festival, and that the Mayor would tell her more tomorrow.  
  
As they were finishing their dinner, Karen's mother (I forgot her name, I'll just call her Rose), Karen, and (surprisingly) Kai walked in. Kai was eyeing Dawn and Jack suspiciously. Karen was surprisingly nervous-looking, and Rose looked sad as usual.  
  
Dawn jumped to her feet and walked up to them. "Oh...Hello," she said awkwardly.  
  
Rose began talking. "Hello..." she said dismally. Then she forced a smile and said, "We wanted to welcome you back, Dawn, with this gift." She handed her a wine bottle. Kai immediately left after that, after telling Jack that he'd see him later. Before Rose could leave, Dawn smiled at her, said Thank You, and handed her a just-harvested tomato. "Have this, as a repayment," she said as she handed it to her.  
  
Rose smiled at her--a REAL smile--thanked her, and left. That left Karen, Jack, and Dawn staring at one another coldly and awkwardly. Karen was still acting nervous. Something must have happened, because she left suddenly too.  
  
Jack grinned at Dawn. "I'd better get home too," he said.  
  
"Bye!" Dawn replied, smiling, and he left as well.  
  
Something made Dawn uneasy as he left. She wondered what it was. When the shipper came about two minutes later, he paid her for the harvested tomatoes and corn. Then she set off to find out what was making her so uneasy.  
  
She glanced around the path outside her farm. It was empty. Then she glanced over to the mountain path--Karen was talking to Jack!  
  
Oh no! Not you, Jack! Dawn screamed in her mind. Then she crept forward and hid behind a bush to listen to their conversation. Apparently Karen had just reached Jack.  
  
"Hi Jack," Karen said in a seductive tone.  
  
"Hi," said Jack, looking uneasy.  
  
"So, what're you doing tonight?"  
  
Dawn's blood boiled. She glared at Karen so witheringly, is Karen had seen it she would've cowered like a little dog.  
  
"Going home," replied Jack. Good old Jack! Dawn thought, relaxing a bit.  
  
"Want me to come with you?" Karen was twirling her finger in her hair and looked positively innocent. Dawn's blood boiled with a hateful rage again.  
  
"Isn't Kai looking for you?"  
  
Karen frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't understand. Nobody's ever refused me before."  
  
"Maybe...you could...try not to be a ho," Jack said awkwardly. "Maybe if you acted like a nice normal person you'd...I dunno..." Jack trailed off.  
  
Though Dawn saw Jack was trying to just be helpful, and didn't LIKE like Karen, she still felt resentful.  
  
Karen smiled at him--a real smile. "I could try," she said. "But Kai only likes me for my looks."  
  
"Then make him see past that," replied Jack. "Or break up with him, if he can't. Though you've established your identity as a ho, you can try and change that. You'd probably have more friends, too. And, don't forget, always be truthful to make friends. I have to be going. Good night." Jack sauntered up to Moon Mountain and to his farm.  
  
Karen was left standing there, watching after him. Dawn slipped quietly back into her farm. She frowned angrily of what Karen had tried to do.  
  
The sun had now completely set. Stars were out, and the moon was full. Her farm was illuminated with the bright moonlight.  
  
"Umm...Dawn?"  
  
Dawn whirled around. Karen was standing by her mailbox.  
  
"Hello," Dawn said coldly.  
  
Karen looked uncomfortable, but surprisingly not angry or snobby. "I...er...It was Kai," she blurted out.  
  
Dawn frowned. "What was Kai?"  
  
Karen took a deep breath, then exhaled. "Kai set the bear on you to chase you into the forest. He didn't mean for Jack to be there. He might've been drunk and thought about you and got angry or something. Honestly, I don't know how he got the bear to chase you. And when you sprained your ankle..." Karen looked around uneasily, and Dawn understood.  
  
"YOU sprained my ankle?!"  
  
"Kai wanted me to!" Karen said, reddening. "And...well...I didn't really like you..."  
  
Dawn stood and glared at Karen, half-shocked, thought she might've known.  
  
"I...came to say sorry," Karen mumbled finally, looking at the ground.  
  
"Okay then." Dawn still felt hateful towards Karen.  
  
Karen turned to leave.  
  
As Dawn watched her leave, walking slowly and sadly, she blinked and called after her, "See you tomorrow."  
  
Karen looked surprisedly, and grinned at her. Then she left.  
  
***  
  
The next day was the 9^th--the Firefly Festival was tonight! (A/N: I just realized the Vegetable Festival's supposed to be then, lol...oh well) The mayor was outside and waiting to tell Dawn aaaallll about it.  
  
"It's a surprise! You'll find out when you get there!"  
  
When the Mayor left, Dawn worked by pulling out weeds. A little later, Rock came by. Surprised, Dawn wondered why.  
  
"Hi," Rick said warmly. "I decided to give this to you, since I know you don't have one and I'm glad that you came back when you got lost. He handed her a blue Firefly Flower.  
  
"What's this for?" Dawn asked, frowning (remember, she's never gone to this Festival).  
  
Rick grinned. "You'll find out when you get there. Bye!" Rick left.  
  
Dawn frowned, and put the flower on top of her mailbox so she wouldn't forget it. After she took care of the crops, she played with Kirby for awhile and fed him, and then brushed Dia and rode her around the farm a little bit.  
  
Then she decided that it was finally time to buy a cow.  
  
But she didn't want to buy it yet, so she decided not to. (Utterly, utterly pointless circles.) Then Ann and Popuri came by, and they all talked while Dawn sat in her hammock and swinged around, and then they left.  
  
Dawn went ocean fishing that day too. She caught three HUGE fish, and Jack came over and he fished too. Then they went for another surprise dip.  
  
Dawn squealed as Jack splashed her in the face. She splashed him, and dunked him too.  
  
When he came back up, he dunked her also. When she came up, she cuddled up close to him, both of them breathing heavily. She smiled and gazed into his soulful brown eyes, their faces close to each other's.  
  
Then they got out and dried off, talking and laughing. Dawn happened to glance casually around her and saw Karen's back disappearing up the path to the ranch.  
  
Dawn frowned. Then she stood up. The sun had begun to set. She smiled at Jack and said, "Guess we'd better get ready for the Festival."  
  
"Yeah," Jack replied, smiling. "Hey, what did the Mayor tell you about the Festival?"  
  
"That `It's a surprise, and I'll learn more about it tonight'," Dawn said, rolling her eyes.  
  
Jack laughed. "Well, you'll find out what it's like." By then they reached Dawn's house. Dawn went inside and changed her clothes into a dry pair, and put her fish in the fridge. When the sun set Dawn walked down to the beach. Surprisingly, her flower had started to glow. (She didn't know the properties of the Moonlight Stones; they glow at night.)  
  
When she got there soft little music was playing in the background ("Where DOES that come from?"), and nearly everyone who was going to be there was there: Karen, Kai, Jack, Popuri, Ann, Gray, Cliff, the Mayor and his wife, Maria, Harris, the elder, the two little boys, and Elli. They were all in their usual places.  
  
Dawn walked over to Popuri with her blue flower.  
  
"I've always liked this Festival," Popuri said dreamily.  
  
"Because of the flowers, right?" Dawn asked, grinning.  
  
They talked a little bit, and then Gray came over to talk to Popuri. Dawn left and talked to Ann, and when Cliff came over Dawn walked over to Jack.  
  
Jack grinned at her as she sat down next to him. They were by the edge of the water, where the elder and the kids usually are, but they moved for some weird reason to another spot. Dawn showed him the flower she had gotten.  
  
Jack explained the Festival to Dawn. "Every year," he said, "people float out a Firefly Flower on the night with no moon. Its said to help guide the spirits back to the heavens, and they say the `ghosts' come down on this night. The lights help them go back when we float them out to sea."  
  
Dawn blinked. "Do you believe it?"  
  
"Naw," Jack said, sighing and leaning back.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It's just another one of those crazy festivals they have here," Jack said, grinning.  
  
"I think this Festival's cute," Dawn said, smiling as she looked at everyone with a Firefly Light.  
  
"It gets boring after you've seen it twenty times and nothing `supernatural' happens."  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen," the Mayor said, and the people gradually quieted. "We will be floating the Firefly Lights out to sea in about five minutes."  
  
Everyone went back to whatever they were doing. Dawn watched everyone and talked to Jack until the Mayor cleared his throat.  
  
"Let us now set out Firefly Lights out to sea, and guide the spirits back to the heavens!" the Mayor announced, smiling cheerfully.  
  
Everyone set their flowers in the water. The waves eventually pulled the glowing flowers out to sea.  
  
As everyone left, Jack and Dawn stood staring after the flowers. Then Jack turned to Dawn.  
  
"Come on, I'll walk you home," he said.  
  
Dawn smiled at him, and they both walked home.  
  
Dawn sat up in bed much later. Jack always made her heart skip two beats, made her spirits soar out of the ashes. He was the kindest guy she had ever known, and he was funny and smart, and pretty cute. She was so happy he liked her. But what if he stopped liking her? Dawn's heart felt suddenly stabbed by a cold, deathly feeling. What if he started to like someone else? What if he started to like KAREN?  
  
Dawn shivered. She prayed to God that he wouldn't. She liked him so much, she couldn't bear it if he dumped her and went for somebody else. After all, so many people before her had.  
  
Dawn turned over thoughtfully and went to sleep.  
  
A/N: I have nothing to do but write lately @.@ Sooo, expect more chapters... 


	11. Eleven: The Vegetable Festival

Chapter Eleven: The Vegetable Festival  
  
A/N - Right after I finished the last chapter I learned that the Veggie Festival's on the 9^th, and the Firefly Festival's on the 17^th. @.@ lol I haven't played HM64 in awhile! Ah well. Enjoy!  
  
A few days passed. Dawn went on with her daily life, as usual. She planted more plants, harvested the current crops she had, started growing a field, (she wanted a cow and a sheep) chopped some wood in the forest, gathered some food, talked to Ann and Popuri and Jack, and did as she normally would have done before the entire hillbilly episode.  
  
On the thirteenth, Popuri ran into her farm at around ten o-clock. "Dawn!" she said excitedly.  
  
"Yeah?" Dawn asked, dismounting from Dia and walking up to her (she had been galloping around her farm pulling out weeds).  
  
"The fifteenth is Ann's birthday!" Popuri said joyfully.  
  
"And...? You want me to help pick out something to buy for her?"  
  
"No, I was thinking we should have a party."  
  
"A surprise party?"  
  
"Well it won't be THAT!" laughed a voice. Ann was walking towards them.  
  
Dawn grinned. "So, are you gonna hold the party, or should we?"  
  
Ann turned out to hold the party for herself. She invited all her friends: Dawn, Popuri, Jack, Cliff, Karen and Kai ("WHY?!?" Dawn kept protesting) Karen's parents (Another "WHY?!?"), her brother (of course), Elli, Harris, Jeff, and Maria. And then her DAD wanted to invite HIS friends, which were the Mayor, the carpenters, and the bartender. The party itself was outside, like a luau.  
  
At the party, Dawn, Ann, Popuri, Cliff, and Gray all hung out, and Jack did sometimes. The reason why Jack was "sometimes" was because he was still friends with Kai, but Kai didn't like Jack's other friends.  
  
Well, they all hung out and talked and laughed like teenage friends were, except they were a bit...older than teens. (Well, they were all twenty or over...)  
  
Much, much later that day (at night) lots of people started walking home, and Jack and Dawn walked back to her house. Jack told Dawn a funny joke that had her laughing all the way to her front door.  
  
When she finally recovered, she smiled up at Jack. "Well...goodnight."  
  
Jack leaned over and they kissed. When they broke apart, Jack holding Dawn still, his eyes traveled from her to the door and back.  
  
"So...can I come inside?"  
  
Dawn saw what Jack was getting at. She flashed a grin at him and was about to reply when a voice said, "Ahem," right behind them.  
  
Jack and Dawn both jumped nearly a mile, and then relaxed when they saw it was the Mayor.  
  
"Hello, Jack," the Mayor said brightly. He seemed oblivious to what he had just interrupted. "I think you should be heading on home--we should get ready for the Vegetable Festival the day after tomorrow!"  
  
Jack looked extremely annoyed and let out an exasperated sigh, but he said, "Yes, Mr. Mayor," kindly. He smiled down at Dawn. "See you tomorrow. Good night." Then he left.  
  
Dawn's heart jumped around in her chest for awhile as she watched Jack's muscular frame walking away from her farm. He glanced back and smiled at her, waving, before he turned the corner and headed up to Moon Mountain.  
  
The Mayor was frowning at Dawn. "You still remember," he said, "that Jack's your rival, right?"  
  
"Yes," Dawn said, both curiously and defensively.  
  
"Well, do you want to be getting close to him, then?"  
  
"Yes," Dawn said, now fully defensive.  
  
"Okay then." The Mayor smiled at her. "I hope you enter a vegetable in the Vegetable Festival. Your vegetables taste pretty good!" He winked, then left. Dawn was left frowning after him, then she walked inside.  
  
***  
  
The next morning found Dawn looking at all of her vegetables. She couldn't decide which of her vegetables was the best; a really, really red and plump tomato, or a large, juicy-looking corn. When Popuri came over, she asked her what she'd rather like, and Popuri said the tomato. But when Ann came over, she said the corn. Dawn sighed exasperatedly.  
  
She harvested all her crops that were in harvest. This took till lunchtime, since most of her crops were in harvest that day. Then Dawn brushed her horse, played with Kirby, and ate lunch.  
  
After that, Dawn counted up her money. She could buy a cow, and still have enough money left over to live comfortably, counting on today's payment. So she walked over to the ranch and bought a cow. When she went back home, Hal was there with the cow. He gave her a cow brush, a cow bell, and told her to name the cow.  
  
Dawn named the cow Bessie (I name all my first cows that ^_^) and brushed Bessie. She put her out in the field after she built a fence around the field except for the entrance.  
  
When Dawn was finished, it was nearly sundown. She wiped her forehead and sighed. It had been a long, hard day. But she smiled at the sight of her farm when she looked around--she had a cow, a horse, and a dog, and a field, lots of crops, and some flowers, too. It was starting to look a little like the farm it had been before.  
  
Jack came by then. He blinked. "Wow!" he said. "You've improved your farm quite a bit."  
  
"Yep," Dawn smiled. "How's your farm coming?"  
  
"Pretty good. Wanna go see it?"  
  
"Sure," replied Dawn cheerfully.  
  
So Jack and Dawn went over to Jack's farm. When they went inside, her mouth dropped open.  
  
He had six chickens, a sheep, and a LOT more crops than she did. He had only a little bit of flowers though, and he didn't have a kitchen yet, or a fence around her field. He had a horse, a black one, and he had a dog too, a female brown dog named Lyla.  
  
Dawn hadn't known that he had a dog. She smiled and played with his puppy as he told her a little about the farm. The sun had now set, and the last rays of the red sun were just disappearing. Stars were coming out--very, very faintly, in the eastern sky.  
  
"Well, since we've both had a long and hard day," Jack said, grinning, "let's go get some beer!"  
  
"Sounds good!" Dawn agreed enthusiastically. They walked to the bar together, talking about their crops and a little about their farms, and Jack told her about the remaining festivals for Summer.  
  
"Say, I still don't know your birthday," Dawn said sheepishly as they ordered from Karen. Karen didn't seem very cold towards Dawn; she wasn't even trying to show off her body--to ANYONE.  
  
Maybe Jack's talk with her made her see life differently, Dawn thought ponderingly.  
  
"It's Summer 25^th," Jack replied cheerfully. Then he grinned sheepishly also. "When's yours?"  
  
"Spring the 2^nd," Dawn replied.  
  
"Damn, I missed it..."  
  
Karen came back with their beers, and they drank them while talking about the Harvest Festival.  
  
"I'm not sure what to enter, corn or a tomato," Dawn said.  
  
"I'm entering some corn," Jack said. "I think you should enter a tomato."  
  
"Hmm, maybe I will..."  
  
Dawn gazed around the bar and took a huge swig of beer. Not many people were in it tonight--just Karen, the bartender, Hall, Karen's dad, and Tom the shipper.  
  
Dawn finished her beer. She said "goodnight" to Jack just as Kai walked in. Dawn gave him the most scornful glare she could muster. Kai looked startled, and sat down by Jack.  
  
After Dawn left, Kai changed his normally friendly attitude into a slightly scornful, rude look.  
  
"That Dawn," he said, scowling, "She's...I dunno...I don't like her very much."  
  
"Why?" asked Jack.  
  
"Well, sure, she's hot," Kai admitted. "That's probably the only reason why you like her."  
  
"That's not true," Jack said angrily. "She's got a great personality."  
  
"Really?" Kai said, scrunching up his face. "Well, my Karen over here--" Here Karen walked up and he put an arm around her lower waist "--is pretty damn hot." When Karen walked away, Kai said, "And that's why I like her."  
  
Jack frowned. "But...what about her personality?"  
  
"What about it?" Kai snorted, as he took a beer from Karen.  
  
Karen looked like she hadn't heard. But when she walked back tot he counter, Jack saw her face full of distress.  
  
Jack frowned, looking at Kai. "You sure have changed, Kai," he said solemnly.  
  
Kai simply laughed.  
  
"I think you should pay more attention to Karen's personality," Jack went on, drinking some more beer.  
  
Kai frowned. "But...she's beautiful..."  
  
"And she probably has a beautiful mind. Can't you see beauty inside, not just outside?"  
  
Kai looked down at his beer thoughtfully. Jack sighed, shook his head, and finished his beer.  
  
"I'm goin'," he said. "Lots to do for tomorrow." Jack walked out of the bar.  
  
Shortly afterward, Karen did too.  
  
***  
  
The next day was the Vegetable Festival. Dawn washed her tomato and wondered if it was good enough. Then, after she saw to Bessie and watered the plants, she took her tomato and, with Kirby following her, they set off for the Festival.  
  
Dawn met Jack on the road outside her farm. He had his corn in hand, as promised.  
  
"Hey!" Dawn said, smiling.  
  
"Hey," replied Jack, grinning. Dawn noticed his dog Lyla was with him too.  
  
Dawn giggled. "I see your dog decided to come too."  
  
Jack looked back and saw Lyla there. He looked astonished. "I had no idea!" he exclaimed. Then he grinned. "Ah well. It's not like its illegal for the dog to be there." Jack bent down and patted Kirby. "Hiya, Kirby!"  
  
Kirby barked and panted happily. Then he sniffed at Lyla and Lyla sniffed at Kirby, the way all dogs do.  
  
Jack and Dawn proceeded to the Festival place. When they got to the Mayor, Jack and Dawn handed him their vegetables. Then they walked up to the Town Square.  
  
Everyone was there already. Dawn walked over to Popuri and talked to her, telling her she entered a tomato. Popuri grinned and said she hoped that Dawn would win. Then Dawn walked over to Ann and told her the same thing. Ann grinned and wished her luck.  
  
Dawn walked around, looking at all the vegetables. She almost ran into Karen.  
  
"Oh...Sorry," Dawn said awkwardly.  
  
They stood looking at each other awkwardly and silently. Then Karen said, "Umm, I hear you entered a vegetable."  
  
"Yeah." There was more silence.  
  
"What did you enter?"  
  
"A tomato."  
  
"Oh." After a long pause, Karen said shyly, "That's cool. I always liked tomatoes, raw or cooked." She smiled uncertainly at Dawn.  
  
Dawn smiled back. "Oh, that's cool. I have this really good tomato sauce recipie, do you want it? You could try cooking it sometime."  
  
Karen's face reddened. "I'm not so good at cooking," she mumbled.  
  
"Well, you can try it. Here." Dawn scribbled it down on some paper and handed it to Karen. Then, smiling a little, she walked away to talk to Maria and Elli. She had forgotten about Lyla and Kirby, but they were in the corner, "getting acquainted".  
  
Kent and Stu walked up to Dawn and started asking her questions.  
  
"You finally got a cow!"  
  
"I'm glad you're growing pretty flowers on your farm!"  
  
"Are you going to get another cow? Or sheep? Or chickens?"  
  
"Can you grow some more flowers? Please?"  
  
Dawn smiled at them and answered their questions. Then the Mayor announced that the winners had been decided.  
  
"And this year's winner is...Jack, from Joro Farm! Dawn from the Lone Star Farm came in second."  
  
"Umm, Jack's corn was very firm, and very fresh! Perfect, and full of nutrients!" said the test-taster guy.  
  
Everyone clapped. Then everyone started to go home.  
  
Dawn and Jack were about to go home when they noticed that they didn't see Lyla or Kirby anywhere. After they called their names, though, they reappeared and came barking happily up to them.  
  
Dawn smiled. "Guess they were just playing around somewhere."  
  
The Festival had ended around three o'clock, so Dawn and Jack hung out fishing at the mountain river for awhile. They spotted some cute little fuzzy animals, which Kirby chased around nearly immediately after they spotted them each time.  
  
They both caught two fish. Then they said goodbye as the sun set and Dawn went home, Kirby trailing behind, with her heart feeling lighter than it had when she had left.  
  
A/N: Dat's da end of Chapter 11! lol well I really like writing these, there might be ten more chapters O.o;; Oh well. Keep reading!! 


	12. Twelve: The Swimming Festival

Chapter Twelve: The Swimming   
Festival  
A/N: Chapter Twelve…  
  
Over the next few days Dawn went about with   
her daily life. She found herself running into Karen a   
little bit. Each time Dawn saw her, she looked sad.   
Dawn eventually got enough money to buy   
another cow, and also bought a rug for her house and   
added a bathroom to her kitchen.   
Dawn became better friends with the   
townspeople too. The elders were pretty nice, and   
Elli and Maria were good friends, though not as close   
as Popuri and Ann.  
The days wore on. Ann and Cliff got closer   
together, and so did Gray and Popuri. The two   
couples were often seen hanging around together.  
Evenings were the time for Jack and Dawn.   
They'd work all day, and then on most nights they'd   
wander the town or go and get some beer at the   
bar/inn.  
The days wore on even more. Dawn soon   
became rich(well, you know, by farmer standards)—  
she had four corn plants and five tomato plants, plus   
foraging every day did turn into lots of money also.  
Finally, the 23rd came. The Mayor was waiting   
outside Dawn's house and told her about the   
Swimming Festival.  
"Will you please enter?"  
"Okay," Dawn replied uneasily. "How many   
people are entering?"  
"Well," replied the Mayor, "there's you, Ann,   
Jack, Harris, Cliff, Kai, Rick, and Gray participating.   
(Jeff's too out of shape, tee hee ^.^) We sure would   
like to have more girls…Oh well. Well, we'll expect   
you there!" He left.  
Dawn worked on the farm for the rest of the   
day and then at night wandered along the beach,   
looking at the shiny stones on the shore with the   
starlight glinting off from them. There was no moon   
tonight.  
Dawn jumped when she heard someone say,   
"Dawn?"  
Dawn whirled around. Popuri was there with a   
bottle, and looked surprised to see Dawn there.  
"What're you doing here?" they both said   
curiously.  
Popuri smiled. "I'm collecting Moonlight   
Stones. Want to help?"  
"Sure." Dawn and Popuri hunted around on   
the beach for the shiny stones.   
When they collected quite a few, Popuri said,   
"That's enough," and put them in the bottle.   
"What are they for anyway?" Dawn asked   
interestedly. The bright white, shining stones were   
very pretty in the starlight.  
"I'll tell you once you've been in Flower Bud   
Village a little longer," Popuri said, smiling secretly.  
Dawn frowned. "Okay then…"  
Dawn and Popuri walked back to their homes   
for the night.  
***  
The next morning, Dawn tended to her crops   
and to Bessie, then slipped on her bikini. She hadn't   
expected to go swimming at all in her new house, so   
she had just grabbed a bathing suit for an   
emergency—she didn't think she'd have had to wear   
a BIKINI.   
Dawn shuddered, took a deep breath and   
closed her eyes, and looked in the mirror.  
She actually looked nice in a bikini, though she   
didn't admit that to herself. She put her hair up in a   
bun for the swimming, grabbed a towel and sandals,   
and set off to the beach.  
She met Ann at the entrance to the farm. Ann   
was wearing a one-piece yellow suit, and her eyes   
popped and her mouth dropped open at the sight of   
Dawn.  
"DAWN!" she hissed. "WHERE DID YOU GET   
THAT?!?"  
"I didn't expect to go swimming at all," she said   
quickly. "If I had known I would've brought a one-  
piece—"  
"You look GREAT!!" Ann yelped, smiling at her.   
"Oooooooh, Jack'll flip for you even MORE now!" She   
linked and arm in Dawn's and they walked down to   
the beach, Ann excitedly talking about the swimming   
festival.  
When they got there, there was a small crowd   
waiting for all the contestants. All the guys' eyes   
couldn't leave the extremely embarrassed Dawn as   
she and Ann walked down to where the other   
contestants all were (Jack, Harris, Cliff, Kai, Rick, and   
Gray).  
They all lined up. Jack was on Dawn's left,   
and Ann was on her right. All the other guys were   
down Jack's left side.   
Jack grinned at Dawn, and he couldn't help   
looking Dawn up and down at least five times. Dawn   
blushed furiously.  
"I didn't want to wear a bikini," Dawn said, at   
the same time Jack said, "I didn't expect a tomboy to   
wear something like THAT."   
Jack grinned reassuringly at Dawn. "It's okay,"   
he told her. "Wearing a bikini isn't a crime." When   
Dawn said nothing, Jack laughed. "Oh come on! You   
don't look bad at all! You look BEAUTIFUL!"  
Dawn smiled shyly. Then the Mayor said that   
they were starting.   
"You should all know the rules…You swim to   
the flag over there—" He pointed to the buoy with the   
flag attached, somewhat 100 feet off the shore. "Th   
first to reach it and stand up on the reef wins 10,000G   
and the Invincible Katori!"  
The Invincible Katori was a statue of a pig.   
Dawn arched an eyebrow.  
"It's supposed to bring luck," Ann whispered to   
her as Jack laughed at her facial expression.  
"Get into your ready positions!" shouted the   
Mayor. All the competitors lined up along the shore,   
in a stance as if they were about to start running.  
"On your mark…Get set…"  
Dawn casually glanced around at the other   
competitors. They were all focused and either glaring   
at each other or muttering, "God, what the hell am I   
doing trying to swim?" Dawn was happy that she was   
pretty good at swimming.  
"GO!" Everyone jumped in the water (Dawn   
included, of course). They all started swimming   
frantically.   
Pretty soon it became obvious who were good   
swimmers. Kai, Jack, Dawn, and Cliff were all way up   
front, and everyone else was scattered far behind   
those four. Ann wasn't that far back, but she had   
slowed because a fish had bitten her ankle and she   
had stopped and sworn loudly, and still was.  
Jack and Kai were slowly pulling ahead of Cliff   
and Dawn. Dawn's arms were starting to get tired,   
but then she remembered Kai and how rude and   
mean he was and how he used her. She got so angry   
that she started swimming furiously fast, and quickly   
pulled up to Jack and Kai, and then slowly got ahead   
of them…  
With a BUMP, Dawn reached the reef first by   
seconds. She stood up shakily and waved her arms   
in the air, squeaking, "I WON! YAY!"  
Jack grinned at her, and Dawn pulled him up   
on the reef and bounced around, hugging him and still   
squeaking. Kai threw them both a dark look as Cliff   
and Ann then climbed on to the reef, and then the   
other three reached the reef, huffing and puffing and   
muttering things like, "I KNEW I shouldn't've swam,"   
or "DAMN I'm out of shape."  
Jack grinned at Dawn. "Congratulations!"   
Between Ann's yelps of pain when she tried to walk   
and yells at Cliff for nagging at her, Ann said, "Good   
job, Dawn!" and between Cliff's mutters of worry at all   
the blood on Ann's ankle and snaps at her for not   
watching where she swam, Cliff said, "What're you   
going to do with the money?"  
"Thanks guys! And I'm not sure yet…" Dawn   
frowned in thought, and then smiled around at her   
friends.  
***  
Much later, Jack, Dawn, Ann, Cliff, and   
surprisingly Popuri were at the bar. Popuri had gotten   
in a fight with her mother (dun dun DUUUUN!) and   
decided to go to the bar since her mom kicked her out   
of the house for a little while. (Hehehe…) They were   
celebrating with beer and talking about various stuff.  
Popuri and Dawn gossiped about Karen. Ann   
was arguing with Jack (or rather, yelling at Jack, who   
was cowering in his seat at the yelling girl who was   
normally so nice to him) about the swimming   
competition and about the fish that bit her. ("SO YOU   
AGREE WITH CLIFF? THAT I SHOULD'VE   
WATCHED WHERE I WAS GOING AND MAKE   
SURE I LOST?!?" "Yes! I mean no! NO!") Cliff was   
laughing despite himself at their argument and talking   
a little bit with Popuri and Dawn on the subject of   
Karen.   
After a long while of just hanging out, they all   
went home. (Popuri fortunately wasn't drunk so she   
could confront her mom about their fight and get a   
place to sleep.) Jack walked Dawn home, and they   
kissed as they said goodnight.   
The next day was Jack's birthday. What am I   
supposed to do for Jack?!?!? Dawn thought frantically   
the instant she woke up.  
  
A/N: Hope you like that chapter! By the   
way…what SHOULD I do for Jack's birthday? If   
you've got ideas please post them in the reviews! 


	13. Thirteen: Jack's Birthday

Chapter Thirteen: Jack's Birthday  
  
A/N: Chapter Thirteen...wasn't sure what to do  
  
for Jack's birthday so I took ideas from your reviews,  
  
of course!! ^_^;;;; Thanks, Sleepy Sheep, angelwings, and Saltine!  
  
^^;;; Eh heh heh...Enjoy!  
  
Dawn pondered frantically for what to do for  
  
Jack as she sat up in bed, on the day of Jack's  
  
birthday.  
  
Should I get him...No, he already has  
  
that...And its not like he needs another cow...He's got  
  
plenty of tools...AHA! I know! Dawn smiled to herself.  
  
Dawn hurriedly got dressed and brushed her  
  
hair absent mindedly, and then went outside and  
  
tended to her crops and animals.  
  
Then she checked her mail. She had a note  
  
from Jack (which had a smiley face winking and his  
  
name signed at the bottom, that was it - hmm, maybe  
  
HE suffers from writer's block too?), a thing from the  
  
carpenter's saying "Buy our stuff!" except written  
  
better as if they were begging you, and...a note from  
  
her parents?  
  
Dawn frowned. Her dad cared at least a  
  
LITTLE for her. But he was dedicated to work and  
  
was often impatient with everyone, in case he was  
  
late for another 'meeting'. Her father HAD said that  
  
she couldn't run the farm properly, though...As if a  
  
GIRL couldn't do what a boy could. But it was the  
  
part with her MOM that worried her most.  
  
Her mother didn't like Dawn. That was all  
  
there was to it. She had constantly berated, belittled  
  
(are they the same thing?), and insulted Dawn when  
  
she was little, and also made her do all the chores  
  
while her three brothers ran amock and played.  
  
Dawn began to feel sad and frustrated again, which  
  
was how she felt growing up with her mother: trapped.  
  
Dawn opened the note. It said:  
  
'Dear Dawn,  
  
I'm glad to hear, from the Mayor, that you are  
  
doing well on your farm. Your mother and I are  
  
passing through the town on the twenty-eighth, so we  
  
decided we were going to stop by, if that's all right  
  
with you. We are both anxious to see how you are  
  
doing in Flower Bud Village.  
  
We love you very much. Expect us soon.  
  
~Dad'  
  
Dawn snorted. She wasn't exactly surprised  
  
that her mother hadn't even signed the note herself.  
  
Dawn shook herself, then went hiking into the  
  
woods, trying to throw her parent's meeting out of her  
  
mind. She went up to the carpenter's place.  
  
Two of them (y'know two of the, like,  
  
quintuplets) were outside, chopping wood. Dawn  
  
went inside and the Head Carpenter greeted Dawn.  
  
"Hello, Dawn! What can I do for you today?"  
  
"Hi, Bob." (I didn't know what else to call  
  
him...) "I was wondering, could you build a kitchen for  
  
someone else?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Like, say I wanted you to build Jack a kitchen."  
  
"Oh. Sure, but we'd need Jack to agree, of  
  
course."  
  
"All right, can I do that then?"  
  
"Sure. Just give me the money and lumber,  
  
and we'll go and notify Jack."  
  
"Not yet though. I'd like it if you could drop by  
  
Jack's sometime around four? I'll probably walk with  
  
you down to his farm."  
  
"Sure, Dawn."  
  
"Thanks so much!" Dawn said, smiling, and left  
  
the carpenters.  
  
Outside she saw Popuri walking around picking  
  
flowers. (It was Saturday.) Dawn went and talked to  
  
her for a bit, and then she went home to make something. Of course, she had no  
  
idea what...  
  
Ann came over around noon. "Hi Dawn!"  
  
"Hey Ann! I'm trying to make something as a gift for...someone..."  
  
Ann frowned. "What're you going to make it out of?"  
  
"That's the problem...I don't know what to make!!"  
  
Ann frowned. "Well, I just came over to see what you're doing today."  
  
"Same as every other day, I guess."  
  
Ann grinned broadly. "Cool! Okay, I hafta get back to work...See you later!"  
  
Dawn frowned. She hadn't gotten a chance to tell Ann about her parent's visit.  
  
"Okay...bye..." But, Ann had already left.  
  
Dawn gazed around her farm, wondering what she could do for Jack, besides adding  
  
the kitchen to his house. Then her eyes lit up when she saw the tree.  
  
She went over to the tree and tore off a strip of the bark. It was a hard piece  
  
of wood and she took out a knife and carved it into a square.  
  
Back when Dawn was little Grandpa had told her that that tree was good luck.  
  
She had always believed him, and indeed it did seem like it was good luck.  
  
Though Jack probably didn't believe in luck, she felt like sharing a bit of it  
  
with him.  
  
On the piece of wood she carved a little symbol. It meant 'Luck' in Japanese.  
  
On the other side she carved 'Happiness' in Japanese. (Her mind kind of went  
  
blank-like min!) Dawn wondered if the gift was good enough for Jack.  
  
I hope it is! She thought frantically. She then drilled a hole in the top and  
  
attached a rope, so he could wear it as a necklace...or whatever.  
  
Just then Harris came by, and said, "I have a letter for you," and handed her  
  
another letter. It was from Jack.  
  
It said,  
  
"Dear Dawn,  
  
Since you (hopefully) remember that tonight is my birthday (My GOD he's greedy,  
  
Dawn thought with a laugh) I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner at that  
  
restaurant on Moon Mountain? Meet me by the carpenter's around six o'clock-  
  
since there's no bridge I'll show you the other way.  
  
See ya then,  
  
~Jack"  
  
There was a little wink-face next to his name. Dawn smiled.  
  
Then she casually glanced at her watch. It was three thirty! It'd take a  
  
little while just to get to the carpenter's and then to Jack's...  
  
Dawn ran out of her farm and jogged up to the carpenter's place. She got there  
  
around 3:45. She met the carpenters and they went back to her house to grab the  
  
lumber, and Dawn paid the carpenters. Then they marched over to Jack's.  
  
Jack was working on his farm, cultivating the land with the hoe tool.  
  
(LOL...er...sorry). He was sweating slightly and his muscular arms worked  
  
mechanically as his face was contorted in concentration and thought as he stared  
  
down at his work.  
  
My GOD he's so handsome... Dawn thought, in a trance for a moment as she watched  
  
his muscular figure working.  
  
Jack still hadn't caught sight of them, so Dawn marched right up to him and  
  
said, "Hi Jack!"  
  
Jack jumped slightly, and then grinned at Dawn. "Hey!" he said, smiling at her.  
  
Dawn guessed he was expecting a gift. "Well, I remembered your birthday was  
  
today," Dawn said sweetly. "I decided to get a little something for you."  
  
Jack then noticed the carpenters behind Dawn. "What're they doing here?" he  
  
said curiously.  
  
"Well...I noticed you didn't have a kitchen yet, and one of my gifts to you is a  
  
kitchen...That is, if you want one."  
  
Jack grinned broadly and threw his arms around Dawn. "YES!" he exclaimed. "NO  
  
MORE RICE BALLS FOR BREAKFAST AND DINNER! I CAN COOK FISH AND STORE FOOD NOW!  
  
YAAAAY!" He picked up Dawn and practically threw her in the air, and spun around  
  
with her in his arms. Then he set her down and he kissed her. "Thank you so  
  
much!" he said.  
  
Dawn felt slightly dizzy. "So happy you like it," she said, shaking herself.  
  
Then she smiled. "Well, I have to go home and meet the shipper to get my  
  
payment for the day. Naturally, since this was a gift, I paid for everything  
  
for the kitchen and the lumber, so...see you tonight!" Dawn, smiling broadly,  
  
left, leaving Jack smiling back at her on the farm.  
  
Dawn walked home just in time to receive payment. Then she fed Kirby again, and  
  
decided to change her clothes. She put on some better-looking overalls, and a  
  
nicer shirt. Then, frowning, she put on just the slightest bit of makeup, just  
  
to look a little bit nice.  
  
Dawn left with a handful of money in her pocket for the carpenter's place. She  
  
got there at just about six. Jack was already there.  
  
Jack grinned at her. "Hey!" he called. Dawn smiled and walked over to him.  
  
The moon was half-full tonight, but it was enough to illuminate the area. The  
  
river sparkled silver and the area was quiet, except for the occasional chanting  
  
of night insects and hooting of owls.  
  
"Well? Shall we go eat?"  
  
"Sure," Dawn said, but frowned. "Umm...How will we get to the restaurant?"  
  
Jack grinned, and walked over to the tree by the cliff. "We climb!"  
  
"CLIMB?!?" It wasn't exactly the romantic night she thought it might be...but  
  
at  
  
least it wasn't over yet.  
  
Jack grinned sheepishly, scratching his head. "Well the carpenters haven't  
  
repaired the bridge yet, so..."  
  
Dawn smiled back at him, and then sighed. "I give up. Let's climb the tree."  
  
They climbed the tree. Dawn, having never been up here, gazed around. Jack led  
  
her up the path to the little restaurant, which was open (thankfully). They ate  
  
outside, at a cute little table right under the moon.  
  
They both ordered nice meals and then talked about random stuff, like they  
  
always did.  
  
While they were eating, Dawn took out the necklace and handed it to Jack. He  
  
took it, fingering it and looking at it curiously.  
  
"It's a good luck charm," Dawn said quickly. "I made it myself, out of the bark  
  
on the tree in my farm. My grandpa always told me the tree was good luck."  
  
Dawn laughed, kind of embarrassed. "I know it might sound silly, but I always  
  
believed it...I wanted to share that with you."  
  
Dawn looked down, suddenly feeling very embarrassed and remembering about her  
  
grandfather.  
  
When she looked back up, Jack was looking at her. He leaned towards her. "I  
  
will always treasure this," he said softly.  
  
Dawn smiled back at him. Who cared if it sounded corny? It sounded good-it  
  
sounded RIGHT when Jack said it.  
  
They kissed. When they broke apart, Jack paid the bill and they went to the  
  
summit of Moon Mountain.  
  
They walked in silence, which Dawn welcomed. She wanted to think about Grandpa.  
  
She guessed Jack was doing the same. Jack had put the necklace on and they held  
  
hands as they walked up the path to the top of the mountain.  
  
The moon sparkled down at them, and the stars dotted the black sky. The half-  
  
full moon illuminated the top of the mountain and the forest below, and Jack's  
  
farm. The silver light glittered on the ocean to their right, and brightened  
  
the forest and hills and plains on their left. Dawn shuddered, remembering  
  
Tom...  
  
Jack turned to Dawn, smiling. "Dawn?"  
  
Dawn turned to Jack. His brown eyes were glittering with the silver light.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
Dawn stood still and stared for a minute, then smiled, her heart nearly  
  
exploding. "I love you, too, Jack..."  
  
They kissed again. But this time Dawn could feel Jack relieved, on his lips and  
  
how warm he felt, and how he didn't feel tensed up...like he had a weight off  
  
his shoulders, perhaps. Dawn felt exhilarated and so happy she felt like she  
  
was flying.  
  
After they were done, Jack smiled at Dawn. They started walking back to Jack's  
  
house, Dawn leaning her head on Jack and smiling, still elated with happiness  
  
like she was filled with sunshine or a big balloon.  
  
They walked down to Jack's farm. It was dark and quiet. Jack walked up to his  
  
door and opened it, smiling back at Dawn.  
  
Just as he did, the lights flicked on and about ten people jumped out and  
  
screamed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!"  
  
Jack screamed, "HOLY SHIT!" and jumped so high he hit his head on the top of the  
  
doorway. Dawn squeaked, alarmed, then started laughing at Jack.  
  
Ann, Popuri, and Cliff ran up to Jack. (Okay, so Cliff didn't "run," he's too  
  
reserved for that, but he walked quickly.) "We wanted to surprise you!" bubbled  
  
Ann.  
  
"I think you did pretty well on that," Jack gasped, still shocked.  
  
Compared to the other parties, there weren't that many people there. Dawn  
  
supposed it was because not so many people liked Jack's grandfather.  
  
She had learned from her father that Jack's grandpa, named Will, had been kind  
  
of rude and hadn't been very social to everyone. Dawn supposed there was more  
  
to this story, involving the Mayor, but she supposed she'd never learn it.  
  
Sometimes Dawn could see Will's stiffness in Jack, like when he greeted the  
  
mayor.  
  
Thinking about what her father told Dawn made Dawn think of her parents' visit.  
  
They were visiting because of a business trip, she knew, but she wondered how  
  
long they would stay. An afternoon? A day? A week? Dawn shuddered inwardly at  
  
the thought.  
  
Kai and Karen were at the party too. It worked like at Ann's party; Kai would  
  
hog Jack for some of the time and Karen would hang by the punch bowl.  
  
Dawn felt kind of sorry for Karen. She could see that she was trying to avoid  
  
Kai, but Kai would walk up to her and be all how Kai is to her.  
  
The party lasted for a long time. Somewhere during it, Dawn brought up the  
  
mention of her parents.  
  
"Oh cool! I've ALWAYS wanted to meet your parents!" Ann and Popuri squeaked.  
  
Dawn raised an eyebrow. "...Why?"  
  
"I dunno," Popuri shrugged. "I just...do. Your mom must be a lot like you,  
  
though, and maybe our moms can be friends or something."  
  
Ann stared at Popuri, and then they started an argument over that last little  
  
discussion. Dawn looked at the ground and mumbled, "Yeah..."  
  
Jack must have noticed something wrong with Dawn. He said in her ear,  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
"No...It's nothing," she said, smiling back at him in what she hoped was a  
  
reassuring smile.  
  
After awhile, people started to leave. After everyone left, Jack walked Dawn  
  
home.  
  
At her door, Jack stopped and said to her, "So...when are your parents coming?"  
  
"The twenty-eighth," Dawn sighed. "Now I have to make my farm look good and do  
  
all this other stuff for it before they come. I mean, I'll have to pull ALL the  
  
weeds-" She spread her arms out over the moonlit farm, and all the weeds were  
  
visible, "-maybe paint the house, it doesn't look too good-" Here she pointed at  
  
the house, and it was true; it looked murky brown, and very shabby. Ugly,  
  
that's the proper word. "-and then there's INSIDE my house..." Dawn groaned.  
  
"Not to mention my animals need brushing more often and the farm's pretty  
  
untidy. And my mom likes flowers."  
  
"And you don't have flowers."  
  
"YES!" Dawn felt like her head was exploding. She squeezed her eyes shut and  
  
massaged her temples. "Oh...I wish they weren't coming so badly..."  
  
"Hey, don't worry," Jack said, putting a comforting arm across her shoulders.  
  
"I'll help ya with my spare time. That's...kind of all day..." Jack grinned  
  
sheepishly, with that crazy grin of his.  
  
Dawn smiled, and then laughed. She felt so happy that Jack was there for her.  
  
"Thanks so much, Jack."  
  
Jack grinned at her, and then sighed. "My house needs cleaning up, though," he  
  
said, looking extremely tired and harrassed suddenly. "If only I had some  
  
help..." He grinned mischievously and looked over at Dawn as he said this.  
  
Dawn smacked his head playfully. "A'ight, cowboy, I'll help you tomorrow  
  
morning," she said, grinning. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Jack grinned and they kissed. Then he jogged out of her farm. Dawn went inside  
  
and to bed, smiling.  
  
The next day, Dawn took care of her farm extremely quickly and jogged as fast as  
  
she could over to Jack's. He was just finishing with his farm duties, and he  
  
grinned as she came in. Then they worked inside cleaning up the mess that the  
  
partyers had made, which took up till lunchtime. Then they had a short lunch,  
  
and then they both went over to Dawn's farm to work on her house.  
  
First, they pulled out all the weeds. That took up most of the day,  
  
unfortunately. Then they brushed all her animals, talking and laughing about  
  
people of the town and strange things about them, or swapping good jokes.  
  
After that, they went into Dawn's house. The room was pretty bare, but there  
  
was a carpet, a blue pot, and a picture of the ocean on the wall that belonged  
  
to Grandpa. The house was pretty much a mess though; lots of Dawn's clothes  
  
were strewn across the place and she had stumbled over her toolbox at some point  
  
one night, and still hadn't bothered to clean it up.  
  
"Eh heh heh heh..." Dawn said, bright red, as Jack looked at her with a raised  
  
eyebrow. Then they started cleaning up her house.  
  
Jack picked up one of Dawn's bras lying right by the doormat. "...Do I want to  
  
know?"  
  
Dawn playfully smacked him. "Knowing you, yes," she giggled. She snatched the  
  
bra away instantly and put it with all the other clothes in her drawers. Then  
  
they stood back to admire her house.  
  
It was very clean, but it looked too bare, Dawn knew that. She wondered what  
  
her mother would say at how bare it was, and then cringed.  
  
Jack noticed. "Umm...Well your Invincible Katori you got the other day could go  
  
right about here..." He gestured to a place by her toolbox. Dawn, remembering  
  
she had put it in the kitchen, grabbed it and put it where Jack said it would  
  
look good. It looked good. Then Jack had to go home and take care of his  
  
animals (they tended to wander a little too far away) and Dawn went out to buy  
  
some stuff to decorate her house more.  
  
She bought a painting of the ocean at sunset that Maria was selling for some  
  
extra money. (Hehehe…) Then she bought a cute little small cat statue (about the  
  
height of her ankle) and she put that on top of the TV later. After that she  
  
went walking on the beach and found a couple of seashells, then decided to make  
  
a little ornament out of it by stringing a bunch of them together. For the heck  
  
of it she put it on her wall, a long line of seashells hanging that took up some  
  
of the wall and added the decoration she needed. Then she bought two wooden  
  
chairs for visitors to sit in at the table in the main part of her house.  
  
Dawn sighed. Her house still looked bare, but not that bare. She decided her  
  
mom would have to adjust to it the way it was.  
  
Dawn ran outside and tried to get her farm to look better. Fortunately she had  
  
some flowers (her mother loved them), so she picked some and put them in the  
  
blue jar on her table. She had some Pink Cat Mint seeds, but only one section  
  
of it.  
  
(A/N: I always grow like 5 MILLION flowers, teehee ^.^ Then Popuri REALLY falls  
  
for me! *wink wink* lol)  
  
Then Ann and Popuri came for a little visit, and they relaxed in Dawn's hammock  
  
and talked.  
  
"I can't wait to meet your parents!" Ann bubbled excitedly.  
  
"Me too," Popuri said. "I met your dad, I think, but I wonder about your mom…"  
  
"They live in the city," Dawn said. "My mom loves the city—she doesn't really  
  
like leaving it for even a vacation…She's going to hate it here. I have a  
  
feeling they'll only be here for two or three days."  
  
"I hope we get to meet them…You'd BETTER let us!" Ann exclaimed.  
  
Dawn looked at them worriedly. "You don't want to meet my mom," she said  
  
quickly.  
  
"Why not?" said Popuri, frowning. "She can't be much different from you."  
  
"Yeah she is…" Dawn said, frowning and staring into the distance. She couldn't  
  
bring herself to tell them about her past, and when she was a child and how her  
  
mother treated her.  
  
Ann and Popuri argued over something while Dawn stared off into the distance.  
  
After a bit, Ann frowned and said, "What is WRONG, Dawn? You look petrified…"  
  
"Just the thought of my mom…" Dawn grimaced.  
  
After a little while, Ann and Popuri had to leave. Dawn wandered around in the  
  
woods for a little bit, and then went home early to read a book she had gotten  
  
from the library.  
  
The next few days whizzed, by and then the 28th came…  
  
A/N: Well, there's Chapter 13! I just realized how extremely MUSHY that part with Dawn and Jack was…It even sickened me a little bit, so I dunno about you… O.o;;; Waellll… ^_^ I'll write more soon, but I also have to  
  
write another chapter of my Smash Bros fic so it might take a lil while…^_^ Keep  
  
readin y'all! 


	14. Fourteen: The Visit from hell!

1 Chapter Fourteen: The Visit  
  
2 A/N: Chapter Fourteen! CHEER! *cheers are heard* Sorry it took so long ^^;; (And yep, I like the word obviously…Obviously! O.o'' Omg, didn't mean to say obviously again…Heh…) Hope you like this chapter!  
  
3  
  
4 That morning, the 28th of Summer, Dawn woke up, the feeling of cold, cold dread sitting in her stomach. Her mom was coming…Her mom was coming…  
  
5 Dawn stood up, yawned and stretched, got dressed, brushed her hair, decided to shower and undressed, showered, got re-dressed and re-brushed her hair, and fretted about her house, trying to make it look all right for her parents' visit. Finally, she decided it looked okay, and she went outside to inspect her farm.  
  
6 There wasn't a single weed. Dawn supposed that Jack might've pulled some weeds for her early in the morning ("Good ol' Jack!"), and she was extremely grateful. Her crops looked fine, the fields were tidy, the animals looked all right…Dawn took care of the animals, watered the plants, and then brushed Kirby. (He wasn't looking that nice.) After she fed him, she had taken a look around the entire farm when Popuri came into the farm, calling, "Hiya!" She had a basket in her hand.  
  
7 "Hi, Popuri," Dawn replied, walking up to her. "What's up?"  
  
8 "Well, the ferry with your parents will come at noon today. Can I go with you to meet them? I have a gift basket of treats for them."  
  
9 "Yeah, sure."  
  
10 "Thanks!" Popuri bubbled. She smiled at Dawn with eager anticipation. "Well, I have to get back to the shop, so I'll see you on the beach at noon!" She waved, and left.  
  
11 Dawn decided to cultivate more land to plant some things in Fall. While she was hoeing the ground (LOL……sorry) Ann and Cliff walked into her farm and called, "Hiya Dawn!"  
  
12 Dawn walked over to them, and they asked permission if they could go with her to greet her parents.  
  
13 "Of course, why wouldn't you? I mean, it's a free beach…" Dawn was in a grouchy mood, strangely; mostly because her mom was coming, but also because she had to walk twice from the middle of the field to her farm entrance.  
  
14 Ann and Cliff both frowned, worried, but only replied, "Okay. Thanks, Dawn," and "Okay! See you later!" They both left, too.  
  
15 Dawn took care of her animals then, and then finished watering the few plants she had (she knew she'd get one more Harvest before summer ended). After that, it was about noon, so she walked down to the beach at noon.  
  
A couple people were there: Popuri, with the basket, Ann, Cliff, Jack, Elli, Harris, the Mayor's wife, and the Mayor (he had to greet all visitors to the island). There were also people leaving Flowerbud Village by the ferry today.  
  
Everyone said hi to Dawn, exchanged words like "I can't wait to meet your parents" … "Your father must have gotten some time off from work finally" … "Your mom must be SO cool! I mean look at you!" and et cetera. Popuri started telling Dawn excitedly about how they could give her parents a tour (they didn't get many visitors). Everyone else talked amongst themselves quietly, waiting.  
  
Jack put his arms around Dawn and whispered in her ear over Popuri's babble: "Will your parents like me?"  
  
"I don't know," Dawn replied honestly. "If you want the truth, I don't think Dad will…"  
  
Jack frowned. "Why?"  
  
"I think it's because of your grandpa," she whispered, while Popuri and Ann started talking a little. "And your farm…If he sees us, y'know, together, he might get mad."  
  
"So…I should avoid you for a few days?"  
  
"I don't WANT you to! But…I dunno…" Dawn broke off shrugging, unsettled.  
  
Jack kissed her cheek. "Well, I won't avoid you. But I guess we can't be so affectionate for a bit."  
  
"Hey! There's the boat," Elli said while pointing. A small white speck was bobbing on the waves. It was far away, out in the ocean.  
  
"It'll be about twenty minutes before the boat reaches shore," the Mayor remarked. Jack, Dawn, and Elli decided to fish during that time.  
  
Surprisingly, they had a good twenty minutes of it. None of them at first were catching anything, but then Jack's line gave a _huge_ tug, nearly yanking him in the water. It was so strong, Cliff, Dawn, and Elli all had to pull on Jack so he could land the fish. When he finally pulled it up, it was GIGANTIC.  
  
"I guess I'll have a good dinner tonight." Jack grinned and set the fish down as the ferry pulled up to the dock. About five people disembarked: the gourmet man, a lovesick couple looking for wine, and Dawn's parents, Michael and Diana. (Vacationers to Flowerbud Village who had already vacationed boarded the ferry, and the ferry sailed off.)  
  
"Hi Mom! Hi Dad!" Dawn called, waving and walking on the dock. Everyone else walked to the beach (Jack ran home to drop his fish off and managed to get back in time—it was too big to fit in his backpack). Dawn's cold pit in her stomach grew and made her cold all over as her parents walked up to her.  
  
"Hello, Dawn!" her father said affectionately. Dawn hugged him.  
  
"Hi, Dawn," said her mother. Dawn made an action as if to hug her, but her mother, Diana, stuck out her hand.  
  
Dawn frowned, wondering why she bothered being nice to her mother, sighed sadly, and then shook her mother's gloved hand. Smiling at her parents, she said as they started to walk down the dock, "Some people want to meet you."  
  
Her father, Michael, frowned. "I know mostly everyone already," he said, fingering his moustache.  
  
"We may as well meet them and get out of this mudhole," Diana snapped. Dawn paid no attention to the rude comment and started walking to the group on the beach.  
  
"How long will you be here?" Dawn asked.  
  
Dawn's mother, a short, portly woman but with an elegant face, short blonde hair and lots of diamond jewelry, definitely looked like she did not want to stay as long as Michael said. "A week."  
  
They reached the small group. The Mayor beamed like a Mayor should at guests and said, "Welcome, Michael!" and shook his hand. "Nice to see you again…You must be Diana," he added, turning to Dawn's mom. He took her hand graciously. "Welcome."  
  
Dawn's mother smiled a false smile. Popuri walked up to Diana, smiling pleasantly, and handed her the basket of cakes and brownies and flowers. "We made you a welcoming basket," she said happily. "We hope you enjoy your stay here."  
  
Popuri smiled at her. Diana just looked at her scornfully, eyeing at how seemingly cheap the basket was. Popuri's face fell a bit, but she pretended that she took no notice of the glare.  
  
"My name is Popuri," Popuri said to both of them, smiling as if encouraging herself.  
  
"Hello," stated Diana coldly.  
  
"Nice to met you," said Michael warmly. "I'm Michael; this is Diana."  
  
Popuri smiled (as if in relief) at Michael. "I'm one of Dawn's best friends. I work at the Florist's with my mother." (Diana's hateful edge to Popuri grew more.)  
  
"I'm Ann!" Ann said loudly. "I'm another of Dawn's best buds! I work at the ranch with my brother and dad."  
  
Cliff said nothing. Wise move, Dawn thought. If Mom heard Cliff was a wanderer… She shuddered inwardly.  
  
The Mayor's wife introduced herself. Diana actually was friendly to the Mayor's wife—it might have been because she was high-classy and rich. She was talking almost familiarly with her. Then Elli introduced herself, shyly yet friendly.  
  
"Chubby girl," Diana muttered to herself. Dawn glared at her mother in indignation and shock.  
  
Then Jack introduced himself. "My name is Jack," he said, shaking both their hands (Diana tried to hide her hand but Jack seized it anyway). "I run Joro Farm."  
  
Michael's smile snapped off like a light. Diana acted indifferently, though a lot warmer than she had to Popuri.  
  
"Is your farm running well?" she asked.  
  
Jack's eyes slid from one parent, to the other, then to Dawn. "It's doing fine," he finally answered.  
  
"Are you a friend of Dawn's?" Michael asked.  
  
"Yes," Jack said without hesitation. Ann, Popuri, Cliff, and Elli watched curiously (everyone else had left). Dawn watched, holding her breath.  
  
Michael's frown increased sharply. He positively glared at Jack—then at Dawn.  
  
"Well, your mother would like a tour," Michael said curtly. "It was nice to meet you all, but we want to check out how Dawn's doing…see the farm…"  
  
Everyone else started to leave. They all walked up together to the ranch. Cliff and Ann left them here, calling, "Bye!"  
  
They walked farther to the Flowerbud Village fork-in-the-road place.  
  
"See you later," said Elli. "Hope to see you tomorrow!" gushed Popuri. They went back to their houses. When they got to the farm entrance, Jack bent to kiss Dawn, but stopped. "See you later," he said softly, and walked up to the mountain.  
  
Michael pursed his lips. "I don't like that Jack," he announced loudly—possibly loud enough for Jack to hear.  
  
"Thank heavens, all that riffraff is gone," Diana said huffily. "I can't wait to have a decent bath now."  
  
Dawn nervously fidgeted as she led them into her farm. Kirby ran up to her, barking happily, then stopped and growled when he saw Diana. Then Kirby fled into his doghouse.  
  
Dawn frowned, picked up Kirby, and led the way into the house, saying formally, "This is my house…Let me show you inside." She stepped on the porch and opened the door, letting her parents go in first. She followed them inside, dropping Kirby by the toolbox and the Invincible Katori statue. Inside, her father and mother looked around her sort-of-bare house. Dawn had to admit it was heartlessly plain, but it was homey, too—the seashell wall ornaments, Invincible Katori, pictures on the walls, rug, and the tablecloth with a cute little pot were kind of nice.  
  
But Dawn knew her mother would sneer. And she did.  
  
"See what happens when you associate with old Jake?" she sneered at Dawn. "You live in a mudhole, a dirty house with hillbilly neighbors…Hah, goodness knows you deserve it…I mean, deciding to live here and throwing away all your studies…Well, you'll get what you deserve…"  
  
An old pang, remembered from growing up, seized Dawn, but she ignored it, like she had tried to before…  
  
"I like your house, Dawn" her father remarked placidly. "It's…homey…Not like Old Jake's, but nice."  
  
Dawn smiled gratefully at her father. "Well, do you want to inspect the farm, Dad? It's still my first Summer, so it's not looking as good as Grandpa's yet, but…"  
  
"All right. Good idea."  
  
"I want to find where I'm sleeping," Diana said curtly.  
  
"Er…you'll be sleeping at the Inn, Mom and Dad," Dawn mumbled. "There's not enough room here…"  
  
"I can see that," snapped her mother, walking past her briskly and out the door. Dawn and Michael followed. "I'll sit here and wait, dear," her mother said, sitting down on the porch chair. She sniffed critically.  
  
Dawn and Michael walked out to Dawn's fields. Her five corn plants and four tomato plants were thriving, and would probably be in harvest tomorrow morning. "I've grown these already," Dawn said, gesticulating at the plants, "and some flowers," she pointed at the two patches of flowers, "and the field over there," and she pointed at the rather small field by the barn and chicken coop.  
  
Michael didn't say anything. They walked over to her field.  
  
"I've only got a cow and a sheep so far," Dawn said, walking up to her cow. "This is Bessie, my first animal." She patted her on the head. Her dad did too. "And this is Moiti, my first sheep." They examined Moiti too.  
  
"I don't have any chickens yet," Dawn said, shrugging almost apologetically. "But it's still my first Summer and all, and its not such a great place yet…" Dawn trailed off, glancing around her farm, thanking Jack silently for pulling most of her weeds.  
  
Michael was silent still, looking around at her farm. Then he commented, "You've got a good start on your farm, Dawn." He smiled at her. "I hope your farm becomes very large, too. Now…you've made friends, right?" Dawn nodded. Michael pursed his lips. "That Jack…" He broke off instead, then said, "I'm glad to see you're doing fairly well. Now, we mustn't keep your mother waiting for her room anymore…" They started to walk back to the house and to Diana.  
  
"Why does Mom hate it here so much?" Dawn couldn't help bursting. Michael cast his eyes over Dawn, then continued walking.  
  
"She's too used to the city, you can see that," was all he would reply.  
  
Diana walked over to them when they reached the porch. "Are we leaving now?" she snapped at them.  
  
"Yes, I'll take you on a tour now, Mom," Dawn replied pleasantly. "I'll show you all of Flowerbud Village, and Dad, if you want to see Joro Farm and how Jack's doing, you know where it is. Wanna go now, or with me and Mom?"  
  
"I'm not trudging over a mountain," sniffed Diana, "with you. I'll stay in the Inn."  
  
"I'll go with you, Dawn," Michael replied, smiling at her. Dawn wondered if he wanted to see what was going on between her and Jack.  
  
Dawn led her father and mother out of her farm. She pointed out to her mother the vineyard, the mountain, the town, and the ranch.  
  
"Would you like to see the vineyard first, Mom?"  
  
Diana considered this. "I've heard their wine was very good…"  
  
"It hasn't been doing that good lately, though," Dawn replied.  
  
Diana sniffed critically. "Let's go see."  
  
The three of them trudged up the hill and entered the vineyard. Kai was outside, looking at the bushes, and so was Karen's father (forgot his name, so it's now Tom!).  
  
Michael glanced around the vineyard, while Diana approached Tom. "We've heard about your vineyard," she said to him, in a flattery voice.  
  
Tom grunted and looked at her through crinkled eyes. "Oh," was all he replied.  
  
"I was wondering if I could sample some of your wine."  
  
"Sure. Kai'll help you." Tom turned and hollered, "KAI! Some visitors want to sample wine from last year!"  
  
Kai left the fields and trudged over. He reached them and cast a surly eye up and down Dawn, then smiled pleasantly at her parents and said, "Right this was, then," and led them to the little house. Dawn said she'd wait outside, and sat down out side the vineyard on the hill. Her legs dangled over the edge that looked over the pathways.  
  
She waited for about ten minutes. Then her parents came out.  
  
Diana was pursing her lips. "I didn't like that wine," she announced. "It's not as good as way back when."  
  
"I told you…"  
  
"Shut up," snapped Diana viciously, her eyes flashing at Dawn. Dawn shut her mouth sadly and they walked down the hill and into northern Flowerbud Village.  
  
They stopped out front of the Florist's. "This is the Florist's, Mom. They sell seeds and flowers and such here." Popuri and Lillia both just 'happened' to come out then.  
  
"Hiya!" said Popuri, smiling. "Hello," said Lillia graciously.  
  
Diana raked her cold eyes over them both, sniffed critically, and started to walk along. Dawn shrugged at the two pinkheads and caught up with her mother.  
  
"That was quite rude, Mom."  
  
"Don't talk to me like that," snapped her mother. "You talk as if you're better than me."  
  
Dawn lowered her eyes tot he floor, embarrassed and ashamed. Then she looked up to the next building. "This is the church." They continued walking along. "Here's the Bar and Inn." Diana started to sail inside, but Michael laid a hand on her arm.  
  
"After the tour, honey."  
  
Dawn's mother's eyes flashed as she looked into her father's eyes. But she relented, and they walked down further. They came to Rick's, then the little place next to it, then to the Bakery.  
  
"It's run by Elli, her grandma, and their friend Jeff."  
  
Diana snorted. "I knew that girl had to work at a place where she could get fat easily…Hah!" Diana snorted and Dawn, sighing heavily, did not reply back. Her mother would just say something scathingly back. Besides, her mother controlled her practically…Dawn shivered, fearing what her mom used to do…  
  
They went into the lower half of the village. Dawn showed her the library, the midwife's place (Diana made a snide comment), the Mayor's house, (no snide remark there!) the Potions place (another snide remark) and then took her back to the Inn.  
  
"You guys can go get set up…I'll go and get your luggage," Dawn said, setting back off for the farm where their suitcases had been left.  
  
When Dawn reached her house, Popuri, Ann, and Jack were there.  
  
"Hey guys," Dawn said.  
  
"Hello," they all said, oddly formal.  
  
Dawn frowned at them. "…Something wrong?"  
  
Popuri looked like she was going to burst out something, but she held her tongue. Ann looked awkward.  
  
"Well, uh," Ann began, "your mother—she's, umm, she's…Well…"  
  
"Can we avoid you for the next week?" Popuri burst.  
  
"With all due respect, yes," Dawn said, sighing. "My mother is my least favorite person in the world, with the exception of some people from high school. I didn't want you to meet her because I knew she'd say something mean—"  
  
"That woman is the rudest bitch I've ever met!" Popuri yelled, making all three of them look at her. She blinked. "Sorry. But…she is!"  
  
"I know," Dawn said, sighing. "I can't wait for this week to be over."  
  
"They're leaving the day of the Cow Festival, Dawn," Jack remarked. "Are they staying for that festival?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Oh. Okay, then."  
  
Dawn walked over to the bin, where the suitcases had been left. "You guys are allowed to avoid me for a week," Dawn said, grinning. "Though I'll get pretty lonely. Visit at least once during the week, willya? My mom won't be tagging along that much…"  
  
"We'll try," Ann and Popuri said, then left, calling goodbye and waving.  
  
Dawn struggled to lift the four heavy suitcases. Michael had taken his briefcase and was carrying it then, but three of those bags were Diana's.  
  
"Lemme help you," Jack said, reaching for two of Diana's. He looked shocked at the weight of them. "What'd your mom pack, twenty pound of diamonds?"  
  
"I'll never know," Dawn muttered. "And I don't think you should help…Dad's weird about you…You know, your grandpa being the rival of my grandpa…"  
  
"Yeah, but I wanna help you. Besides, it's not like he can stop me from seeing you."  
  
"You mean you won't avoid me for a week?" Dawn said, looking over hopefully at him.  
  
"Hell no, Dawn," he said, grinning at her as they started to walk out of the farm. "I wouldn't be able to stand it."  
  
Dawn smiled back at him. He leaned over and kissed her.  
  
"The last time we'll kiss for a week," he said, still grinning.  
  
Dawn, still grinning too, carried her two suitcases, Jack next to her, tot he Inn. When they reached the door, Dawn and Jack dropped the suitcases. "Dad wants to go and inspect your farm today, so you'd better hurry back. Jack nodded, stepped down from the porch, turned around and, acting like a heroic soldier going into battle, blew her a kiss, and dashed off, still acting like a knight. Dawn giggled and walked inside, carrying all four suitcases.  
  
The bartender smiled at her and helped her carry the suitcases up the stairs. Upstairs were four doors: one was a restroom, two were guest bedrooms, and the last was the bartender's bedroom. Dawn carried the luggage into her parents' room, where she heard an argument going on.  
  
"…room is filthy, too! I don't want to sleep in this crappy, uncomfortable bed!"  
  
"Diana, dear, we're only going to be here a week—"  
  
"Michael that is TOO LONG!"  
  
"Hi guys," Dawn said, lugging the suitcases in. "Ready to inspect Jack—Joro Farm, Dad?  
  
"Sure, Dawn," her dad replied immediately, looking distinctly ruffled—he obviously wanted to leave Diana alone. "Let's go."  
  
They left Diana to fuss about the room by herself and walked outside. As they walked through Flowerbud Village, her dad asked questions, like "So how do you like it here? Doing well?"  
  
"I really like it here, Dad," Dawn replied, smiling. "And I guess I'm doing well, though it could be a little too early to tell…"  
  
They reached the mountain, and then walked over to Jack's farm. It was about three o'clock, and the sun was nearing the western horizon, though it would be awhile before sunset. They walked down the hill towards Jack's farm. Dawn didn't see him on the farm, and supposed he was out fishing.  
  
They reached the gate. There were bars and the door was closed. Michael reached for the gate, but Dawn grabbed his hand.  
  
"Dad, nobody's home."  
  
"So? We can still look around." He pushed through the gate. Dawn followed reluctantly, saying, "Dad, we shouldn't come in here, it's kinda, umm, trespassing…"  
  
Her father was staring around his farm, hands on his hips. The cows were grazing in the fields, his plants nearly in Harvest for the last few days of summer. He was pursing his lips and frowning.  
  
Dawn let him seemingly study the farm. At last, he said, "He's doing better than you."  
  
Dawn shrugged, looking at the ground. "So?"  
  
"He could sell you off, Dawn." Her dad turned to her, a serious expression on his face. "Of he sells more stuff than you do, then they might ask you to shut down your farm. Or you won't have enough money to continue running your farm."  
  
"We do perfectly fine how we are," Dawn said shortly, meeting her father's gaze.  
  
"I noticed how he's doing better than you already…Haven't you been here longer?"  
  
"Yes," Dawn said curtly.  
  
He frowned, studying her again. And it hit Dawn.  
  
"Wait—you think he's doing better than me because he's a BOY?"  
  
Her father didn't say anything. Dawn was filled suddenly with rage.  
  
"You think just because I'm a girl, I can't run a farm as efficiently?!? Oh, Dad, you are SO wrong. I can do better than Jack! I'll do better than Joro Farm! You watch!"  
  
And, despite his feeble stammerings, she marched out of Joro Farm and back up the mountain. A little while later, so did Michael.  
  
The wind blew a gentle breeze across Joro Farm, making the grass sway and the cows snuffle and sneeze. Jack stepped out of his house, looking worriedly after them both.  
  
A/N – So, erm, there's Chapter 14! ^^;;; I'm sorry it took soooooooo long! I told you it might take awhile for this story to get cracking! The next chapter they're leaving!! Well, the next chapter is called, "They're Leaving!! (and the Cow Festival)" !! So, if you're around for another 5 or 6 years, you might see the end of this fic…Hehe, see ya laterz! :P  
  
~Mirri Night, Spirit of Shadows/Lauren! 


	15. Fifteen: Rivals

Chapter Fifteen: Rivals  
A/N: OMGOMGOMG(lol)!!! Chapter Fifteen! FINALLY! Sorry it took so long ^^;; Eh heh...REALLY sorry it took REALLY long! Hope you like this chapter, too! (Yeah, you better. ^^;; j/k!) Dude, and thankies to Pheep a lot a lot for giving me advice and makin' me wanna work more on this fic! (And for kinda helping me write more! And read her HM fic!!) And thanks to Jon, too, for being there all the time for the fic (and for me in general)!!  
By the way, thinking is now between and .  
  
Dawn woke up that morning and immediately felt depressed. Why did they have to come… she thought heavily as she got dressed and stepped outside.  
The sun shined calmly at her--it was still rising, so there wasn't a real glare from it yet. It was the 29th, so the air and sun would start to cool off soon for the Fall. Dawn harvested the last of her crops (two corns and three tomatoes) and then brushed and milked her cows and brushed her sheep. She pulled out her sickle and began chopping the plants--they wouldn't harvest again before Fall. She had just finished when she heard her father call her name, around noon.  
Dawn turned around and saw her father walking up to her.  
"Good morning, Dawn!" he said, smiling at her.  
Dawn smiled back. "Hey, Dad. Where's Mom?"  
"Sleeping," he grumbled. "Either that, or she got up to socialize with the Mayor's wife."  
Dawn said nothing. Her father sighed and put an arm around her shoulders.   
"I'm sorry about your mom," he said quietly.  
Dawn tried to shrug him off that topic. "She's always been that way, it's not a big difference to me," she said, feigning casualness, but she looked down at the ground.  
Michael reached over and tousled her hair. Dawn pushed his hand away, smiling embarrassedly at him,(Why does he pester me so on this subject? I don't want to think about it...) and said, "Don't you want to go check up on your old friends here?"  
Michael smiled wryly at his daughter, and set off out the gate without saying a word.  
Dawn turned over in her mind the words her father had said about Jack "doing better" than her already. She had vowed that she would be better than Jack--at the beginning of her new life, true, and yesterday...She should keep to that vow...  
Dawn picked up her sickle again and started chopping plants. Pretty soon she had the whole set of tomatoes and corn chopped, and she planted the remains of the plants at the back of her farm (well, threw em in a ditch). Then she began harvesting half the lawn when she realized she needed a break. She put away her tools and changed into her bathing suit, grabbed a towel and a cake she had belatedly discovered, and set off for the beach.  
It was deserted, thankfully; this would be the last day to go swimming in the ocean without freezing yourself to death. Dawn laid out her towel, chomped down on her cake, and walked to the end of the dock. She jumped in and had a refreshing swim, all the while mulling her thoughts over with how to be better than Jack.   
When Fall comes, she decided, I'll plant more plants than him...water 'em unevenly so I won't have too many harvests in one day. Maybe buy another animal, and get chickens... Dawn ducked under the water one last time, then climbed out of the water and sat on the edge of the dock, her towel wrapped around herself.  
She heard footsteps ont he dock, so she turned around and saw Cliff walking up. She smiled at him, and he said, "Hey," and sat down next to her.  
"What's up?" she asked.  
He sighed. "I don't like your mom," was all he bluntly said.  
Dawn sighed exasperatedly. "Don't we all. What'd she do to you?"  
He grimaced. "I think she found out I live on the mountain...well, she made some pretty snide comments about me, and then Ann got all...erm...pissy at her."  
Dawn gulped. "What happened?"  
Cliff anime-sweatdropped. "Eh heh...we had to tie Ann up..."  
Dawn jumped up, panic stricken. "ACK! I gotta go see 'em! Did Ann hurt my mom?!?"  
Cliff blinked. "No...but she tried..." He shrugged, grinning uncontrollably.  
Dawn and Cliff raced over to the ranch--Irish guy--erm, Hall, Ann's dad, had his daughter in handcuffs to the fence and was telling her off. She was still screaming about what a bitch Diana was, and if she hated it, then why did she come in the first place? Diana herself was not there. Probably ran off, the snooty wuss, Dawn could not help thinking.  
Dawn raced over to Hall and Ann. Hall frowned at the two girls as Dawn hurriedly asked what happened.  
"DAAAAAAWN!" Ann screamed. "I GOTTA GET YOUR MOM BACK FOR DISSIN' CLIFFIE LIKE THAT!!!"  
(Cliff looked at the ground, red in the face, and scuffed the dirt with his toe.)  
"I HATE HER, DAWN!!! YOU KEEP HER AWAY FROM HERE!!"  
"Calm down, Ann...I'm pretty sure she'll stay away from you now," Damn said, shamed. She sighed unhappily, her depression and woe obvious on her face. "Look...I dunno...My mom's...weird like that..." She scratched the back of her head, searching for the right answers.  
Ann huffily glared at Dawn, then took a deep breath and exhaled. After looking at the ground for a bit, she smiled reassuringly at her. "I don't know the relationship you and your mom have, but it doesn't seem to work out very well if she picks on your friends like that. I'm not gonna blame you though, Dawn...and I'm not mad at you. I'm just pissed like hell at your mom. .......WHEN is she leaving again? The Cow Festival? Dad, can we move it to tomorrow?"  
Hall laughed. Dawn giggled hesitantly. "What'd you try to do to my mom anyway?"  
Ann replied huffily, "Well, after she dissed me, I snapped and lunged at her. Before I had even *touched* her, Dad grabbed me and Cliff told off your mom. She walked away after making a snide remark about FBV..."  
Dawn closed her eyes. I gotta stand up to her... she thought, her anxiety and anger building up inside her. But...now? "I'm so sorry, Ann," Dawn said quietly.  
Ann seemed to understand what was wrong--she seemed to perceive that Dawn was afraid of her mother. "It's a'ight. I still wanna get back at her, though, so keep the handcuffs on, 'kay Dad?"  
Dawn laughed. "I gotta go buy some stuff today...I'll catch up with you later...Gotta talk to my mom..." With a farewell hesitant smile and wave, Dawn left Green Ranch and headed into town. First she stopped at the flower shop to say hi to Popuri and Lillia. No interesting scenes had occurred between Diana and either of the pinkheads. She ran over to the bakery, and bought a piece of pie (for later, yum ^_^) and chatted with Elli a bit. She walked outside and ran into Jack.  
"Hey!" Jack said excitedly.  
Dawn's thoughts slammed back to being Jack's rival...beating Jack...staying on her farm..."Hi," she stated coldly.  
Man, I didn't want to say that so coldly...But what if he beats me? How long do I have left to prove I'm a better farmer?  
(A/N: Guys...think about that sentence...'Tis 'funny-sounding'.)  
Jack blinked at her. "What's up?"  
"Nothing." Another cold remark. So sorry, Jack...But I gotta beat you.  
Jack blinked at her again. "Dawn...What's wrong?"  
"Nothing."  
"Nothing?!?" Popuri walked up behind Jack and Dawn to exclaim. "I just heard about it, Ann told me! See, Jack, Diana started dissin Cliff, so Ann got pissed, then Diana dissed Ann, and Ann *lunged* at her, but Hall restrained her and--Dawn?"  
Dawn had started to walk away, and she kept going to get back home. She didn't watch Jack stare mournfully after her, or Popuri blink a few times, then keep excitedly talking to Jack.  
  
A/N: To be perfectly honest, I was going to have this chapter be quite a bit longer. It was supposed to also be the Cow Festival, and some interesting scenes between Dawn, Jack, and Dawn's dad, and Dawn's horrible parents were supposed to leave, but it was taking me so long to write just this much that I decided to make you a little happier, and kleep you notified that I'm still writing O_o;; Reviews are very nice and very welcome. :) Once again, OH SO SORRY!!! MORE SOON!!! (if I keep getting reminded to work on this fic ¬.¬) And one last thanks to Pheep, Jon, and those others who helped me out!! ^_^ Lata.  
~*Mirri Night*~ ^.~ 


	16. Sixteen: Fortunately Unfortunate

It's My Life  
**Chapter 16: Fortunately Unfortunate (oxymorons rule)**  
AN: Yes, I know it's been awhile. Dammit, I'm sorry! Don't hurt me! ^^;; Well, I hope you like this chapter. Serious case of writer's block. Thanks to Jon and Pheep for givin' me new ideas and shtuff, and thanks to the uberlyshibby reviewers who reviewed! ^-^ Yay! Anyways, on with the fic!!  
(Thinking's between ~ and ~. You won't understand the title of this chapter until either the next chapter *or possibly the end of this chapter*. And I use damn a lot in this, but hey, we see and hear worse on TV, right?)  
***  
~Damn. They're still here.~ That was Dawn's first thought of the day as her alarm clock woke her at 6 am. ~It's only Summer 30th. Well, they'll be gone on the 4th. I can stand it 'till then.~ That thought got her out of bed. She chomped down a rice cake, brushed her teeth and washed her face, dressed in a button-up blue shirt and jean shorts today (*GASP!* NO OVERALLS!), and headed out the door.  
She surveyed her farm with an evil eye. ~I really hafta shape this place up a bit. I HAVE to stay at this farm, I just have to. I'm NOT going back to the city...~  
Three hours later, she had chopped down the remaining corn and tomato plants, and had taken care of her cow. She had found a late-blooming tomato and ate it while sitting in her hammock, watching her farm. It definitely needed shaping up--though, she had to admit, it was much nicer than it had been when she had arrived.  
By that time, she realized if she didn't move it, her parents would drop by and that wouldn't be fun. So she headed out to the village. She saw Jack was talking to Popuri and Elli right at the entrance so she swung around and headed up to the mountain.  
~Gah...I'm sorry, Jack...but...~ She sighed and watched the sky as she walked up past the vineyard to the base of Moon Mountain. There she ambled along and over to the Goddess' pond, where she sat down and gazed at the peaceful area with the cute little music that came from nowhere. Her mind turned over the events occuring in her new life.  
~Damnit. Why did my parents have to come and visit? Things were fine. Perfectly fine. Well...I guess Jack was my rival anyway. But, why are we such rivals anyway? Why can't we just...work together or something?~ Dawn sighed heavily. ~Like hell. Wake up, Dawn, this isn't some fantasy world where everything'll be fine (contrary to what Harvest Moon 64 players like myself believe). I really should beat Jack...~  
She gazed down at the pond. A cute silver fish was swimming in it. ~Wow, I didn't know fish swam in here.~ Because it was so peaceful, she nearly jumped when she heard grass and twigs crunching. Warily, Dawn looked up.  
"I would've thought you wouldn't like to come over here anymore," Karen said as she sat down next to Dawn  
Dawn blinked (rather stupidly) at her, then asked, "Why?"  
"Well..." She turned her head and looked behind them. The forest behind them seemed shady and strangely dark. "It IS where you got lost, right?"  
Dawn made a face. "Meh. Whatever. It's still nice here; that thought won't keep me away from this place." After a few moments of silence, Dawn finally asked, "Not to be rude or anything--but--why are you here?"  
Karen shrugged. For some reason, she looked like a lost little girl, or someone who just found out that their life was a lie. "I wanted to make things better between us...after all, we do live in the same small town, and we'll probably be together for a long time."  
~That's strange,~ the thought suddenly popped into Dawn's mind. ~I just realized I had a feeling that she was going to leave here...~ "Yeah, maybe you're right," Dawn said, smiling (somewhat forcibly) at Karen. "It's not cool to have an enemy in a town of fifty people."  
Karen smiled hesitantly back.  
~Jeez, she really changed a lot. I wonder what exactly happened...~  
"So, I hear the Bitch and her Bitch are in town..." Karen said slyly, looking over at Dawn.  
Dawn laughed. "Yes, my parents are in town. Did you hear what happened with Ann yesterday?"  
Karen practically howled. "From what I hear, your mom's a total bitch and got away lucky."  
Dawn and Karen started talking about their parents a bit, and then Karen had to leave.  
~That was pretty strange...~ Dawn mused as she laid back and watched the puffy white clouds rolling by. ~But then again, she's right. Nobody wants an enemy in so small a town...~  
She sighed as she mulled over her thoughts for the day. ~I really don't wanna see Ann or Popuri today...I'll just stay up here and plan for awhile. Maybe I should work harder or ... something. Starting tomorrow, I'll plant a ton of seeds of whatever's in stock for the month. It might be eggplants--oh, hell, I'll find out tomorrow. I HAVE to beat Jack...~ For a long time, thoughts and emotions consiting mostly of competition and hatred filled her brain. She didn't know why, but she had come to the conclusion that to beat Jack, she had to stop being friends with him. ~I HAVE to beat him.~  
Then Dawn dozed. When she regained consciousness, she saw the sky had a reddish tint, because the sun had started to set. She also saw a face peering into her own.  
"AAAH!" Dawn squealed and jumped up. The person blinked at her.  
"Here you've been all day!" Ann squealed. "We were worried about you; nobody's seen you since yesterday."  
"Bleh. I've just been thinking a lot." Dawn squeezed her eyes closed and rubbed them. She had a migraine coming on; probably because she was thinking too hard for a farmer.   
Ann looked at her sadly. "Jack seems to think you hate him...Apparently you gave him the cold shoulder yesterday...He's worried..."  
Dawn felt a twinge of guilt. ~He's my friend...right? GAH! No. We're rivals.~  
Dawn yawned and stretched as she stood up. "I better get home," she said shortly. She really didn't wanna talk about this just now.  
Ann looked up at Dawn worriedly. "All right. Hey, wanna come to the bar later tonight?"  
Dawn blinked at her. "How often do you go to the bar?"  
Ann shrugged. "Oh, not often, you should know that one. I decided I just need a break from work."  
Dawn shrugged. "I'll probably be there later. I need a break t--Oh, damn, my parents will probably be there." She didn't voice her anger that Jack would, too.  
Ann grinned wickedly. "That's why I'm going."  
Dawn visibly paled, though at the same time started cackling. "Gah--Ann, please don't maul my mom!"  
Ann made a face. "If you're not going to, one of us has to."  
"Yeah, you're right. But still..."  
"Later." Ann grinned and waltzed off.  
Dawn went fishing for about half an hour, till the sun had nearly entirely set. Sprinting home to give her three medium fish to Tom (Er...wait...is that his name? Oh, hell, screw it.), Dawn sat down in her hammock and stared at her farm for a few moments, surveying it again. Then she pondered whether to go to the bar or not, playing with Kirby and brushing Dia.   
~I guess I will,~ Dawn decided after a little while. ~It's probably a bad move, but hey, I need a drink right about now.~ With that final thought, she walked over to town.  
She opened the door to the bar. Surprisingly, it was crowded. She saw Karen, Kai, Ann, Basil, Gray, two of the carpenters, the barkeeper (naturally), Karen's dad, and way at the back, her parents. She grabbed a drink from the barkeeper and paid him, then sat down with Karen and Ann. (Kai was sitting with Karen's dad, because they were having a heated discussion, and Karen was on break.) They talked for a bit, and then Michael walked up to Dawn and asked her if they could "chat".  
~Stupid 'chats'. They always turn into commands.~ Dawn followed her dad over to his and Diana's deserted table, and motioned for her to sit. Dawn sat.   
"Well, Dawn," Michael said, "we want to stay a little longer than we had planned to. We're going to stay until Fall the 9th, you got that? Unless you really don't want us to be there."  
Dawn's automatic "Of course we want you here," came out while Dawn was still contemplating this. Mentally, she smacked herself. ~Damnit!~  
Michael beamed at her. "All right, its settled then. How are things with the farm?"  
Reluctantly, Dawn made small talk with her father, while her mother pointedly ignored Dawn. Dawn felt obliged to be with her parents, even though she'd much rather be with Ann and sort of with Karen. And then Jack came in.  
Dawn gulped down the rest of her beer and told her dad, "Look, I have to get on home...close up a few things, put the cow away, the like." She said, "Good night," to her mother, but Diana just sneered and said nothing.  
It was obviously a tiny bar, so Dawn had no way of avoiding Jack. So she tried walking past him. He stood in her way and said, "Dawn...Please wait."  
Dawn felt another twinge of guilt, but she had to be strong--forget about Jack. She didn't look up at him, but said coldly, "I have to go home, Jack. Could you please move?" Besides the fact that her dad was breathing down her neck about Jack, the fact that her parents were staying even LONGER was making Dawn extremely edgy.  
Ann and Karen next to them looked at Dawn in shock. Reluctantly, to avoid their gazes, she looked up at Jack. His brown eyes were pleading and sad. She squeezed her eyes and walked past him outside, stepping outside and heading quickly down the steps and off towards home.  
Jack followed her into the warm night. Stars were out and the moon had risen. Dawn was walking quickly, doing a good job of ignoring her stabs of anguish and keeping up her intense feeling of rivalry, bitter rivalry.   
"Dawn!" Jack called. "Dawn, please wait!"   
"Oh, buzz OFF, Jack!" Dawn said exasperatedly. Her feelings of rivalry had completely dominated any feelings of love she had--well, not all her feelings, it was true, but Dawn was denying that little voice, intensely focused on keeping Jack away from her so she would not have to fail. She would not allow herself any more feelings for Jack.  
Jack caught up to Dawn right outside her farm and grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around to face him. "Dawn, please tell me what's wrong."  
Dawn shrugged off his hands, giving him a cold stare. "Goodnight, Jack." She turned to go into her farm.  
"What did I do WRONG!?" Jack exploded. "Was I just not good enough or something? Did everything I do nice for you have no affect on you? Did the fact that I love you make you hate me? Is it wrong that I care!?"  
Dawn instantly felt horrible. She stopped in her tracks.  
~What the hell's wrong with me!? Why am I doing this to him?!? He never did anything wrong at all to me! He's been so nice...It's not like I'll be a total failure, right?~ Dawn shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt so bad about being so mean to Jack. She immediately regretted all the thoughts about bringing down Jack's farm by beating him in their competition. ~He doesn't deserve any of what I'm doing to him. I don't care what my dad thinks!~  
Dawn turned around. She couldn't help a few tears trickling down because of her regret. ~Crybaby,~ she scolded herself. "Oh, Jack, I'm so, so sorry..."  
Jack closed the space between them, eyes locked with hers. "What is this about?" he asked calmly. His voice was not calming, however. In fact, it sounded very close to anger.  
Dawn felt ashamed for having to admit what she had been thinking. "It's...it's my dad. He's so angry that we're friends. He's so mad that we're not acting as the rivals we're supposed to be. It's just...I felt like I had to impress him...or...I don't know! He makes me feel so worthless, I guess." Up until now, Dawn hadn't realized Michael had been so degrading. She saw it now in a clear light. "I've never been--good enough for him or something. I just...felt like I had to prove him wrong..." More tears streamed from her eyes as she looked into Jack's calming amber orbs. "I'm so sorry that I was shunning you like that...I tried to deny that I loved you to beat you, but ... you don't deserve to be treated like that..."  
Jack cupped Dawn's chin in his hands, gently wiping away her tears with his thumbs.  
"I understand," he said, smiling.  
Tears still came, though. ~When did I become such a wussy? Aah, but he's so kind...~ Dawn smiled at him. "Thank you..."  
"Dawn, I still love you. I understand how you must've felt about your parents growing up, now that I've met them. Don't worry, though...I'll always be here." He embraced Dawn in a warm hug.  
"I love you, too," she mumbled into his shoulder, feeling humbled.  
They stood like that for awhile. Then Dawn, sniffling, led the way in her house.  
"I'll make some coffee," Dawn announced. "Sit somewhere." Rummaging in her small kitchen, she realized she had no coffee. ~What the hell is the world without coffee!?~ So instead she made hot cocoa and brought the two cups back into the main room. Jack was sitting on her bed, so she sat down next to him and handed him his cup. They both drank their hot chocolate and talked a bit.  
"Jeez, what was it LIKE growing up with your parents, anyway?" Jack scowled and he took another sip.  
Dawn sighed. "It really sucked, that's for sure. I had three youngers brothers, and my mom only cared for them. It was like I was a maid or something...I don't understand why she doesn't like me though..." Dawn sighed. ~Damnit, that came out wrong. I didn't mean to sound like a whiny little girl.~  
Jack looked at Dawn cautiously. "Dawn...I have something to ask you..."  
Dawn looked at Jack too. They locked eyes, and Dawn had a growing sense he was about to say something very serious. He was very tense and earnest, regarding Dawn softly.  
"Yeah? What is it?"  
"Are you going to finish your hot chocolate?"  
Dawn laughed and swatted him. "You did that on purpose!"  
Dawn couldn't help giggling a lot at this. One spot of happiness in a very bleak day made her pretty giddy. Jack grinned too. They locked eyes again, and leaned in for a kiss.  
Dawn smiled as she kissed him. She was so happy that she had triumphed over her dad's consternation about how much of a failure he thought she was. She didn't care about what he thought anymore.  
~Well, maybe that's not necessarily true...~ Dawn thought.  
She realized she had her arms around Jack's neck and his arms were around her waist, each getting more out of their kiss. She leaned back onto her bed, Jack kissing her passionately, she kissing him back. His hands ran up and down her body, sort of tickling Dawn (o_o I don't write this crap often, bear with me), and he started unbuttoning her shirt. She realized she had been taking off his clothes without noticing she was.  
They stopped kissing, Dawn smiling up at Jack's soulful eyes. He smiled happily back.   
"I love you," she said.  
Jack kissed her on her nose. "I love you too."  
They started kissing passionately again, but broke off as Jack took off her shirt. (Wow, whats going on here?) As they resumed their kissing and Dawn started unbuttoning his pants, they heard a stern voice say,  
"What the HELL is going on here?"  
Jack instantly rolled off Dawn and they both stared, dumbstruck, at Dawn's father.  
  
A/N: My first true cliffhanger. Sorry. It's late and I'm horrible at writing things like I just did. I hope you liked this chapter; I know it sucked, but I'm proud of myself 'cuz I wrote this all in one sitting! *cheers* I might be able to write more now, because its Christmas break. *YESSSSS!* Well everyone, Merry Christmas, and I'm gonna say Season's Greetings to you non-Christians, because I can't recall all your holiday's names. Sorry. Have a great holiday season, y'all, and keep checking cuz I might write another chapter soon!! Thanks reviewers!! ^_^  
~*Mirri Night*~ ^.~  
(PS: I'd like to thank Jon and Pheep once again for helpin' me out. ^_^) 


	17. Seventeen: Not Good Enough

It's My Life  
  
**Chapter 17: Not Good Enough  
  
A/N: Chapter 17. I hope you're happy that it's not as late as the last two   
  
chapters were. Thank Jon for that. He forced me under pain of death and exile   
  
to write this chapter quickly. I should get some law against him and sue him or   
  
something. Hope you enjoy this chapter, too. ^_^ Reviews and flames are welcome,   
  
by the way. Reviews are VERY welcome.   
  
EXTREMELY welcome. DEAR GOD PLEASE REVIEW ;_;  
  
(Thinking is still between ~ and ~. One "~" also divides between memories and   
  
another between the present.)   
  
~*~  
  
Not good enough.  
  
"Good...but just not quite good enough."  
  
Not good enough.  
  
It had always been her life's story. Always. Everything she did. "Good...but not   
  
quite good enough." Always in everything.  
  
Why? Why was everything this way? Always and forever, she just wasn't good   
  
enough.   
  
Not quite good enough...  
  
"Dammit Dawn, you had a good try at this game... And you did well indeed... But as   
  
you can see..."  
  
It was one of Dawn's soccer games. She had been on her high school's soccer   
  
team, and their main defender. Her coach was outlining to her what had just   
  
happened in the last play.  
  
"...it was just not quite good enough."  
  
"Great job, Dawn," snapped another team member. "Now we won't get the Cup."  
  
~  
  
~Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.~ Dawn hurriedly put her shirt back on, quailing   
  
under her dad's glare.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, DAWN?!?" her father roared. "I CAN'T   
  
BELIEVE YOU'RE _SLEEPING_ WITH THIS-THIS-"  
  
"Dad, calm down!" Dawn screeched at him. Jack, setting his pants   
  
straight, tried to say that they weren't having sex (yet), but Dawn's dad   
  
wasn't hearing any of it.  
  
"MY GOD, DAWN! WHY WOULD YOU GO DO SUCH A THING LIKE THIS!?"  
  
~WHY NOW? WHY!?!?~ Aloud, she said, "Dad, please! I'm a grown woman!"  
  
"GROWN WOMAN!? Don't you talk to me like that!" He was almost exploding with   
  
rage. His face had gone a dark, dark purple. "YOU'RE ONLY TWENTY YEARS OLD!"  
  
"What's going on in h--Oh." Diana had walked into the room, looking distinctly   
  
ruffled for an unapparent reason.  
  
Dawn sighed. ~HOW ELSE CAN THIS GO WRONG!?~  
  
~  
  
"Still not quite good enough."  
  
The smart girl was smirking darkly. She had beaten Dawn to it - she had made   
  
the curve. She had set the record in the class. She had beaten Dawn to the   
  
next level. Dawn had almost made it. Dawn had almost risen up too. And Dawn   
  
had been so close...  
  
"You just weren't good enough," she said, laughingly as she headed off to her   
  
new honors class, with her new course schedule.  
  
Dawn looked down at her course schedule, her mediocre schedule.  
  
~  
  
And she smirked. Diana smirked. She obviously knew, as well, what Dawn's dad was   
  
going to do. She always knew. Hell, she was directing the man.  
  
"Dawn..."  
  
Dawn swiftly glanced at her father. Diana said nothing, but surveyed the scene   
  
with one eyebrow raised, and one side of her lips smiling that malice-filled,   
  
yet serene, smirk. Michael was still purple, but his rage seemed to be beyond   
  
loud words now.  
  
"Sir, I really can explain -" began Jack. Dawn silenced him with a look.  
  
"I'm taking the farm away, Dawn."  
  
"WHAT!?!? YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!" Dawn exploded. Something snapped in her. He   
  
couldn't. He COULDN'T. He had absolutely no right. No right whatsoever. Hell,   
  
he could TRY to haul her off to that smoggy clogged-up city but he wouldn't take   
  
her without a fight!  
  
"Yes, I can and I will!"  
  
"JUST BECAUSE I WAS MAKING OUT WITH HIM!?" Dawn's rage felt almost   
  
uncontrollable.   
  
"It seems, Dawn," came her mother's cool, never reassuring, voice, "that you're   
  
just not good enough to run this farm."  
  
~  
  
He was ending it. Their relationship was over. All over. Four years. Gone.  
  
Her eyes filled with tears. "But..."  
  
"Face it, Dawn, we're just kids," he told her, his soft blue eyes seemingly   
  
covered with an icy sheet, but they still held his gentleness. "And we're   
  
changing with the time..."  
  
Dawn couldn't do anything but stare.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry, Dawn," he said, sighing, scratching his blonde head, "but it   
  
just... feels RIGHT with Callie. It's just... it's not like it's you or anything,   
  
but I just feel like - like - Callie and I are *meant* to be together."  
  
Dawn's eyes were overflowing with tears. She couldn't ever remember crying so   
  
much, except when she was smaller. ... She loved him so much ...  
  
He must have been about to crumble as well. "I'm sorry," he said, is voice   
  
cracking, and he hurriedly walked off. A blonde girl farther off took his hand,   
  
looked up into his eyes lovingly, concerned. She brushed tears from his eyes,   
  
and Dawn could tell that he smiled back. It was reflected in her face.  
  
"Just not good enough," the scene screamed at her.  
  
~  
  
Dawn's eyes went blank. Just...blank. Jack could see it. He could see that   
  
sentence impacted her deeply, so deeply inside her.  
  
He felt hatred - hatred welling deep within him. That BITCH! his innards   
  
screamed. HOW COULD SHE DO THIS TO DAWN!?   
  
He turned his full death glare upon Diana. "You cold, heartless snob," he said   
  
quietly. "Why do you do this to her? Why?"  
  
Michael immediately stepped forth. His face had paled, his rage and anger   
  
controlled into a tight, deadly statement. His eyes glared balefully into Jack's   
  
soft amber orbs. "I suggest you leave," he stated, demanded.  
  
Demanded.  
  
Dawn's eyes filled with hate. Complete, utter hatred.  
  
"Mom. Dad."  
  
They could see it in her eyes. Michael was baffled for a moment. So was Diana.  
  
"Get out."  
  
"What!?" they both reacted instantly.  
  
"You can't order your parents around!" screeched Diana.  
  
"You know what, Mom!?" Dawn jeeringly scathed at the title. "I've had ENOUGH of   
  
you! You're always treating me like shit! I'm sick of you! I hate you! I HATE   
  
YOU! I'm NOT going to let you order me around again! You've NEVER been helpful   
  
to me, you've never-"  
  
"I birthed you, you insolent little twit," Diana barked, her eyes flashing   
  
dangerously. "And-"  
  
"Oh, shut the hell up!" Dawn screeched. "You've never given a reason as to why   
  
you hate me so much! But I've had it! I don't care anymore!"  
  
Diana made to slap Dawn.  
  
~  
  
The hand came down on Dawn's soft, 8-year-old cheek. Over and over.  
  
"You did it WRONG, you brat! WRONG!"  
  
"Oh, come off it, Diana," Michael scowled at his wife from over the paper. "She   
  
had a good try at it."  
  
"Yeah, but it sure as hell wasn't good enough," Diana scowled, not ceasing in   
  
her slapping, as she surveyed the ruined breakfast. "You can't do ANYTHING   
  
right, you brat!"  
  
The slaps brought tears to Dawn's eyes, but she didn't cry. She had stopped   
  
crying for awhile now.  
  
"That's enough, Diana," Michael said angrily, standing up and grabbing his   
  
wife's hand. "Leave the poor girl alone. There, there..." He picked Dawn up and   
  
got some ice to place on her cheek. "It's all right," he said soothingly to the   
  
wronged child.  
  
Behind him, Diana could be heard muttering, "I've always hated that stupid   
  
bitch."  
  
~  
  
Dawn grabbed Diana's wrist before the hand could hit her face. She squeezed the   
  
wrist and twisted it, forcing Diana's arm away. Then Dawn slapped her, as hard   
  
as she possibly could.  
  
The force of her blow knocked Diana to the ground, but admittedly because she   
  
had been depending on Dawn's hand to keep her balance. Of course, Dawn had let   
  
go; she didn't want to touch the woman. Michael seemed torn between helping the   
  
woman he strangely seemed to love or congratulating Dawn on her outburst, seeing   
  
as she definitely needed to be free.  
  
His eyes softened as they gazed at Dawn. They softened when he looked at Jack,   
  
as well.  
  
Diana sure as hell didn't soften. She made an angry noise and leapt to her feet   
  
to attack Dawn.  
  
Her moves were quick - too quick - Dawn couldn't block in time.  
  
But Jack could. He caught the woman's wrists and forced her to stop in her   
  
tracks.  
  
"I suggest YOU leave," he stated simply, his amber eyes penetrating like a knife   
  
deeply into Diana's eyes, mocking her and her husband. "And don't ever touch   
  
Dawn again."  
  
He roughly let go of Diana, almost shoving her. With a final look of pure,   
  
twisted, unadulterated hatred at the pair, she left.  
  
Michael, unexpectedly, hugged Dawn.  
  
"It's all right," he said soothingly to the wronged child.  
  
He drew away. "I won't take the farm away," he said, his eyes smiling kindly,   
  
though his mouth didn't. Then they darkened. "I do NOT, however, approve of   
  
this - this," he said, waving a hand vaguely at both Dawn and Jack. "I strongly   
  
DISAPPROVE. I'm letting you stay, but - " his shrewd eyes glared at Jack "If I   
  
catch you with him again..."  
  
Dawn sighed. Obviously, not much had been learned from this small incident.  
  
"With all this commotion, I don't believe your mother will be staying any   
  
longer," he added. "We're packing our bags immediately. You won't see us next   
  
morning. Good-bye..." He stepped out the open door, shut it, and was gone.  
  
Dawn sank onto the bed. Her eyes stared blankly at the wall.  
  
Jack sat down next to her. She leaned against his shoulder and he wrapped an   
  
arm around her waist.  
  
"Not good enough," she mumbled, almost to herself, a tear trickling down her   
  
cheek.  
  
"Hey." Jack cupped her chin, made her to look into his eyes. He brushed the   
  
tear away with a tender caress, and smiled. Her sapphire eyes blinked up into   
  
his kind amber gaze.  
  
"You're good enough for me."  
  
~*~  
  
Author's Notes: I hope you liked it. I promise to write more next chapter, and   
  
it'll be soon, too... if everything goes according to plan, that is... Stay tuned!  
  
~*Mirri Night 


	18. Eighteen: Life Goes On

Chapter 18: The Cow Festival

A/N: Hellooooo there. Been awhile, hasn't it? (Not that any veteran readers are reading this anyway.) Well, it's been a long time since I stated this fic (what, two or three years?) and I haven't been writing this for much of that time. I apologize. I have numerous excuses, all of which are pretty lame, but now it's summertime once more, and I've done everything except continued writing any of my fics. I figure it's time to kill this one. I figure I'll go along to twenty-three chapters or so before IML ends, and then I'll be free from this wretched fic! Not that I dislike it, of course. In fact, my writing's changed so much that I think I'll go back and edit the first sixteen chapters someday, maybe before school starts up again in September. It's just bad writing. Then again, I haven't changed THAT much. Ah, aaaanyway... On to the fic! (Thinking is between and .)

--

The next two days passed briefly. Since Dawn's parents' sudden departure (they must have paid extra to get the ferry to arrive days early), Dawn's friends all relaxed and gossiped like crazy to Dawn and each other. (Well, the females did, anyway.) Fall befell the little town of FBV, and for Elli's birthday on the first, Jeff threw a small bash for her. Dawn (who was invited) bought one of Elli's own cakes for her, and also gave her a new fishing pole (which cost Dawn all of her extra pocket money, though she had barely any to begin with). The next day was spent watering a few eggplant seeds and running around town with her friends, and going to the bar in her oddly high spirits.

On the third, Hall (Ann's dad), came by and told Dawn about the Cow Festival. "If you want to enter one of your cows, tell me which one, and I'll take care of her until tomorrow and enter you in the contest, all right?"

By this time, Ann had two cows, Bessie and Sepiria, and two sheep, Moiti and Nami. Because Bessie was her older cow, Dawn chose her to enter into the contest. After a few words of encouragement, Hall took her away to the Green Ranch for the day.

Gritting her teeth, Dawn resumed watering her eggplants. Her thoughts had wandered to expanding her house. Her house expansions included a free porch from when the carpenters had welcomed her back after the hillbilly episode, a dilapidated kitchen, stairs to the roof, and a tiny outhouse; but she wanted a much more modern, efficient household (or at least a decent bath). Dawn had long since gathered the wood on her farm, and had gathered lots of wood from the forest, but the fact of the matter was that she was still distressingly short on wood – and gold. She really needed to put her back into working harder on her farm, if she wanted to make more money. And even then, it'll still be difficult.

Straightening up, Dawn cast her ever-present critical eye over her farm once again. Her fields would need to get bigger if she wanted to have more cows and sheep... maybe plant more eggplants and such; flowers didn't earn money, and the shipper had said in the past that her vegetables were excellent. The big problem was, Dawn realized, that Jack and Dawn were both marketing the same things for a small town. It made for cheaper goods, and her stuff was getting much less money than it could. Though the shipper had told her that her vegetables were much more succulent than Jack's, Jack's cows gave better milk, he had three cows, and he also had six chickens. Dawn pursed her lips. I should try and buy chickens for some different source of income. I really do want a new bathroom, though... What should I do? I need some fast way to make a lot of money, but Jack and I are trying to sell the same th--

"HIYA, DAWN!"

Dawn leapt three feet in the air, heart pounding madly. Omigodomigod... Breathing heavily and turning, Dawn glared – at empty air. Curious, she glanced down; Kent, the little brown-haired seven-year-old, was grinning up at her.

"Oh, erm, hi," Dawn stuttered lamely, her anger dissipating at his eager expression.

"I heard ya entered Bessie into the Cow Festival!" he squeaked eagerly, smiling from ear to ear. Dawn thought her looked a little creepy when he did that. "I hope you win; your cow's really cool!"

"Thanks, but aren't all cows cool to you?" Dawn smiled, recovering her wits. Remembering what she shipper had said once, she added, "But I think Jack has a better chance at winning. His cows are quite well-cared for."

Kent frowned slightly. "Well, yeah, he's probably gonna win," he admitted (Dawn flinched at his blatant, childish honesty). "He's entering his cow Muffy, and she's older than Bessie, which makes her, uh, more mature, I guess." Then he perked up again. "But all the cows are so cool! When I grow up, I wanna work with cows and be a great farmer1"

Dawn, smiling at his young ambition, knelt down and ruffled his hair. Certainly wasn't what **I'd** been planning on. "Tell you what. When you turn sixteen, and you need a job and my farm is really big and just crawling with cows, I'll let you work here, okay?"

"YEAH!" Kent's eyes lit up excitedly. "That would be AWESOME!" He skipped away out of the farm, calling back a "good luck" before disappearing.

Dawn grinned after his retreating figure before sobering up. She needed money and wood, else her farm would never get to be as big as she had just described to Kent. Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and shoving it in her backpack, she headed up to the forest to chop some wood.

She chopped and gathered every single piece of fallen lumber she could find. After doing that, she foraged around for mushrooms and berries – she talked to Cliff and gave him a mushroom because he had a black eye (he and Ann had fought again) – and settled down to fish with the fisherman for a short while. (Somehow, he managed to land four large fish, while she only caught two small ones and a medium.)

Around three in the afternoon, Dawn decided she had done everything useful there, and popped over to Jack's place. He didn't seem to be home, but his cows and sheep were loose, grazing in his eggplants. Dawn quickly rounded them up and put them where they belonged, wondering where Jack had run off to without putting his cows in his fields.

So, Dawn strolled home to put her findings in the shipping box. Snatching up her fishing pole, she walked along over to the beach to do some ocean fishing.

Elli, Maria, and Popuri were all at the end of the dock, Elli the only one actually fishing. They seemed to all be chowing on cookies, and didn't notice Dawn at all until she was right behind them.

"Oh, hello, Dawn," Maria said, glancing back at her. "How are you?"

"Hihi, Dawn!" Popuri bubbled, beaming up at her, as Elli said "howdy".

"Hey, girls," Dawn smiled. "Mind if I fish with you?"

"Of course not," they said in unison, and Dawn sat down between Popuri and Maria and cast her line into the sparkling ocean water. Popuri and Elli fell back into the conversation they had been in earlier.

"So, how's work at the library?" Dawn asked conversationally.

"Oh, it's fine," Maria murmured, looking down into the water. Maria and Dawn hadn't spoken too much on occasion; they certainly knew each other, but just hadn't talked very much except at festivals.

"Ya know, I used to love reading," Dawn said, gazing at her bobber in the water. The waves were making it dance in circles within the water, which looked crystal-clear today. "Once I got out of high school, though, I never had much time to read anymore... I used to love sci-fi and fantasy."

"Oh, me too!" perked up Maria, her black eyes alight. "Those and psychological thrillers have always been my favorite genres. Have you ever read the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy? A nice blend of politics and magic, it is."

So, the afternoon passed merrily away in that manner. Once the sun showed signs of setting, the four girls started to head on home (Dawn popped by Green Ranch and asked what the fight had been about; Ann, perplexed, asked "What fight?" as Cliff came in from another room. Dawn merely left). A little disappointed that she hadn't seen Jack all day, Dawn stepped into her farm.

"What are you doing here?"

Looking up, Dawn saw Karen and Kai right next to her hammock, directly in front of her (well, and also to the right of her). Thinking fast (and yielding a bad result), Dawn ducked behind the doghouse to listen more carefully without being seen. Kirby nuzzled her, so she gave him a small fish to keep him quiet.

"I **said**, what are you doing here?" Karen repeated. Dawn couldn't see her face, but saw that Karen's left fist was shaking. Kai's face had an ugly look on it.

"I could ask you the same thing. Besides, it's none of your business," he retorted.

"Of course it's my business!" Karen scowled. "Not only are you trespassing, but I –"

"I'm not trespassing," Kai said hotly. "I just came by the Lone Star Farm to see—"

"And because I care about you, Kai," Karen plowed doggedly on. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this – this thing with Dawn? Why can't you just let it be?"

"Because I just can't," he snapped shortly, glaring angrily at Karen.

"Just tell me, Kai," Karen implored, uncharacteristically tender of voice. "You'd think, with the way you're acting, that you're in love with her and just overly bitter about her and Jack."

"Of course not," he said, sighing. "I'm just – angry, I guess."

"About WHAT? What could YOU possible be angry about?" she pressed.

"Will you just leave me alone about it, Karen?" Kai shot angrily. He brushed by her quickly and headed for the exit.

"GOD!" Karen screamed, frustrated. She turned to face him, and Dawn saw her face, which startled her: Karen seemed near tears. "If you would just tell me what's wrong, maybe I could help you, you stupid simian asshole!"

He stopped. "And why would you bother?" he said, his back to her (Dawn had to slide around to the other side of the doghouse, quickly, to avoid being seen; she was feeling somewhere between angry and sorry).

"Because I love you, you dick!" she shrieked at him. "Isn't it obvious!?"

It was silent. Then Kai sighed. (Dawn almost whistled.)

"When did you become such an arrogant asshole, anyway!?" Karen raved on. "You used to be so different around everyone, so undemanding and pleasant and polite, until a short while because Dawn came around. Now around us two you're a self-centered prick. What the hell happened!?"

Kai was silent. After a moment, he turned around and faced Karen.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I've been feeling extremely out-of-sorts with myself – snapping at everyone, feeling short-tempered – since the news that my mother died came to me last winter. I'm just..." He shrugged, trailing off and looking away. "I feel... miserable inside, and angry at myself. And the stuff with Dawn... I mean, I started seeing her after we got into that last fight, and then when I realized I really cared about you, I mean... everything with Dawn just felt so strange. So I started treating her... I dunno..." He trailed off, and without looking at Karen again, headed out of the farm and up towards the vineyard.

Karen was very still. (Dawn, taken quite aback by all the outbursts, hoped she would move because he legs were cramping very badly.) After a few moments, Karen followed Kai out of the farm as well.

Waiting until she was sure they were gone, Dawn straightened up and stretched her legs out, pondering as she gazed at the exit. I wasn't totally surprised by that, though it sure was interesting. And yet... I still don't know exactly why he treats me so coldly, now. Getting the kinks out of her shoulders, Dawn collected her pay from where the shipper had left it, brushed her horse, dog, and cattle again, and turned in to the house for the night. She wasn't up for a nice trip to the bar just now.

Pounding on Dawn's door woke her up the next morning. Grumbling to herself, she gazed blearily at her bedside clock. 5:03. Scowling, she put the pillow over her face and attempted to sleep again.

The pounding stopped. She was about to drift off to sleep again when something very warm and heavy seated itself directly on her stomach.

Dawn squealed and sat up, knocking whatever it was next to her on the bed between herself and the wall, and scrambled to her feet. Then, belatedly, she realized that the "thing" was Jack, and he was laughing.

"AUGH! You jerk!" she squealed, pouncing on him and attacking Jack playfully.

"And a good morning to you, too," he grinned, his hair getting messed up and his hat flying askew from Dawn's wrath. Catching her wrists, he planted a kiss on her lips and smiled at her. "See, I woke up quite early today, so I figured I'd wake you up as well. The cow festival starts at ten am, and you need to get all your stuff ready before then."

"Stuff?" Dawn said groggily, before realizing that he meant to take care of her plants and animals. "But why five o'clock?" she added, pushing herself off of him and walking to her dilapidated kitchen in her nighties (mainly, a big T-shirt and undies). Pouring two cups of coffee, she turned and faced him as he followed her in.

"Told you, I couldn't sleep," he said, his grin still on his face. "Maybe I got a few hours in last night... Woke up around four because I just wasn't sleepy, so I took care of all my animals in record time, just one hour, and raced along over here." He accepted the proffered coffee and took a few sips.

A short while later, she was changed and done with her coffee, and they were out the door. Jack said he'd help her with the farm so that they'd have some time together before the festival, so Jack started taking care of her animals, while she started to water her numerous eggplants.

"Did I tell you that I think my dog's pregnant?" Jack called over to her while he was playing with Kirby.

"No," she called back, surprised.

"Yeah... I think Kirby's the father. I'm gonna have the midwife check my dog out sometime."

"Mmm," Dawn murmured, finishing up the watering and waltzing over to him.

They ate a quick breakfast of rice balls (another thing Dawn appreciated about Jack was that he was used to the same style of living the Dawn was – shabbiness) and then they both set off to the ocean for some early-morning ocean fishing. Dawn caught some kind of berry-nut thing, and Jack told her that it was some kind of "power nut", and that it was good for her. Dawn shrugged and ate it anyway. They caught a few fish, and when ten o'clock came around, they walked along over to Green Ranch, wondering who the judges would be and who would win the cow contest.

Most of everyone who wanted to go was there – the only people who seemed to ne missing were the judge, the mayor, and a few people who had expressed interest. Strange of the Mayor to be later, Dawn thought, glancing through the crowds. Dawn and Jack found their friends and mingled with the crowd before going to their own prospective cows to calm them down and to milk them. Bessie seemed a bit nervous from all the people, though otherwise fine. Dawn gave her one last brush-down before milking her and turning in her sample for the judgings. The other contestants – there seemed to be about six total – did the same, and all the other people mingled and chatted and tasted the milk. Dawn got a few nice comments about her cow and the quality of Bessie's milk. Some people had their own opinions on cows and the cow festival (Stu and Kent loved all the cows, while people like Karen seemed indifferent.)

"This whole festival is ridiculous," Cliff muttered to Dawn, Cain on his shoulder, as Dawn walked over to talk to him. "I can't tell Ann that; she'd sock me for it. I just think this whole thing is stupid." Dawn giggled, and Cliff, looking surlier, continued. "I mean, come on! Sure, the cows are nice and all, but a festival to compare the taste of their milk? Gimme a break." Cliff sulked off to talk to Rick.

Dawn went on to talk to pretty much everyone, mingling in the crowds, when the judges came to their decision. Everyone crowded up to the front, where the Mayor and the Gourmet Judge who looked like neither man nor woman waited with the ribbons to mark the awards – blue for first, red second, green third, and purple fourth.

People were talking, while Dawn went to stand next to Bessie and the other contestants went to stand with their cows. The Mayor and the Gourmet-person talked among themselves, before the Mayor said to the crowd: "We have come to a decision! First of all, welcome to this year's Cow Festival, where we shall decide on whose cows have done the best thus far this year." People clapped half-heartedly. "On with the awards! Fourth place goes to Flower Farm, with the cow named Daisy!" People clapped and cheered, also half-heartedly, as the Mayor awarded the man next to Daisy with the green ribbon and a handshake. Dawn smiled to herself, realizing that she4 probably came in fifth or sixth place. "Third place goes to the Lone Star Farm, with the cow Bessie!" Dawn blinked, surprised, as the Mayor awarded her with the green ribbon and a muttered "Good show" after shaking her hand. The crowd cheered and clapped loudly.

"Second place goes to Joro Farm, with the cow Muffy!" The crowd cheered loudly, though not as loudly as they had for Dawn. The Mayor walked up to Jack and handed him the red ribbon, and then sailed on without shaking his hand. Jack blinked, but contented himself with petting Muffy and throwing a grin over to Dawn. She smiled back and mouthed "Good job" to him.

"And first place," the Mayor announced at large, "is, of course, last-year's winner and goes to Green Ranch, with the cow Molly!" Everyone cheered again the Mayor shook Hall's hand, who was looking quite smug, with Ann and Gray on either side of him. The Mayor handed him the blue ribbon and told the crowd, "Thank you for attending this year's Cow Festival! Have a good day!"

Dawn murmured to Bessie, "Good girl... you didn't do too badly." Bessie merely mooed softly. Then Jack walked over to her, leading his Muffy on a rope, beaming at her. "Second place!" he said triumphantly. "I'm really surprised!"

"Me too!" Dawn joked, swatting him. He laughed. "Actually, I'm surprised I place at all, Jack." Bessie snorted, gazing reproachfully at Dawn. "No fault of yours, of course," she added, nuzzling Bessie's nose.

"Guess neither of us have a chance of beating our benefactor, though, huh?" Jack said, thrusting his thumb in Hall's general direction, who was still looking smug. The crowd was dispersing, the other contestants were leading their cows away, and Gray was leading the cow Muffy into the barn on the other side of the field.

"You're probably right," Dawn replied, sighing (not unhappily), and the two started to lead their cows out of the ranch. Cliff, Ann, Popuri, and (somewhat surprisingly) Maria tagged along with them. Cliff was absentmindedly patting Bessie and crooning strange things into his ear, being a diehard animal lover (except when it came time for Cain to eat).

"You two did well," Maria said shyly. "Your cows' milk tasted great."

"Thanks," both Dawn and Jack replied. "Though," Jack added, "we might have done okay, but Hall's gonna beat us each year."

"Bah, you don't know that!" Ann said cheerfully (which was understandable, as her cow had just won first place). Her blue eyes were unusually bright. "You guys don't have many cows, which means all your extra love and care is concentrated into a few. Meanwhile, we have seven cows, four horses, and five sheep, and we have to love and care for them all. We get pretty tired of it. See what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I getcha," Dawn said, running her fingers through her messy blonde hair. "Not too much love to go around, hmm?"

"Hey Jack, how're you getting your cow home?" Popuri inquired, a strand of loose pink hair getting in her face from the wind. The wind seemed to pick up, and Popuri and Maria had to hold their skirts down with their hands. "I mean, with all those rough mountain paths, and your farm on the other side of Moon Mountain... and now with the wind picking up." Popuri reddened as the wind made another tug at her swirling red skirt. "Won't it be really difficult?"

"Yes, Popuri dear, it shall be very difficult," Jack said grimly. "Cliff said he'd help me out, especially when Muffy here gets terribly stubborn, but it could take the rest of the day..." He sighed.

By this time they had reached Dawn's farm, and it was about three in the afternoon. "Well, this is my stop. Why don't we all meet at the bar later tonight?" There was a general murmur of agreement. Dawn turned to the black-haired girl. "Are you going to come too, Maria?"

"Ah, I don't think so..." she murmured in reply. "I don't really drink, and..."

Cliff frowned at her, but not unkindly. "I don't see you there much. C'mon, it could be fun."

"Yeah, Maria," Popuri gushed. "I'm gonna go, too. We might have a lot of fun!"

Maria managed a weak little smile. "Well... okay, then," she said hesitantly.

"Cool!" Dawn smiled. "See you all later, then." She turned into her farm, leading Bessie along by the rope, and put the cows and sheep in the barn (she'd heard that it might rain tomorrow, the fifth). Double-checking her plants, she went for a nice ride on Dia to give her a chance for some real exercise, and brushed her again. Then she curled up with a book, Kirby in her lap, in her hammock for a completely undeserved break. She knew perfectly well that she should be working a lot more, or at least eating more than one meal a day. She just didn't care at the moment.

Dawn's thoughts wandered to her parents. Truthfully, she'd been thinking about them a lot since the incident, but she still wasn't sure what to make of it. Should I try to call them? Or wait for them to contact me again? It's probably too soon to try and re-establish a connection. Dawn felt considerably lighter of spirit but heavier of heart since that episode. She'd finally stood up to her mother... but her father hadn't seemed too pleased about everything – especially the part with Jack. Dawn reddened at the memory of her father walking in on them undressing each other. Michael used to be on her side in everything as a child, but now... Had things been ruined between them?

He's the one being stubborn. I can be with who I want. With that satisfyingly unhappy thought, Dawn glanced at the sky. The sun was about setting, so the bar should've been open then. Dawn fed Kirby one of the fish she had caught today, putting the rest in the shipping box for what measly sum she could come up with, and set off for the bar.

All the people she'd talked to earlier were there, along with Gray, the shipper, Karen's father, and Karen waitressing. She has a good idea for a job. Dawn sat between Jack and Cliff, across from Ann and Maria, and talked with everyone, watching it all. (She really couldn't afford a drink tonight, so kept stealing gulps from Jack's beer.) Popuri sidled over to Gray and was chatting animatedly to him, though she kept bouncing back and forth between the two tables to talk to Maria, Ann, and Dawn. Ann was mostly talking to Cliff, Maria, and Karen when she stopped to talk. On the whole, it was pretty fun, and Dawn was blissfully happy when Jack walked her home at eleven and bid her adieu. (Though, it may have been the beer affecting her.)

She tucked herself into bed, awaiting tomorrow with both eagerness and dread.

A/N: So, yes. Chapter Eighteen is done and over with. I hope I'll have the next few chapters out soon... I hope to end around chapter twenty-three. See ya, folks.


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